A 51-year-old man allegedly stabbed a civilian Garden Grove Police Department Community Services Officer in a leg Thursday morning when the officer went to a condominium complex laundry room to investigate a case of vandalism.
The officer, 38, had gone to the complex at 11319 Parkgreen Lane after the vandalism was reported about 11:15 a.m., according to GGPD Lt. Carl Whitney.
“The calling party said an unknown person cut a water pipe and water lines to the washing machines,” Whitney said.
The CSO arrived minutes after being dispatched and while investigating was stabbed with a large knife “in an unprovoked attack,” allegedly by a suspect identified as Hop Ngoc Tran, who lived at the complex, Whitney said.
“The CSO was able to fight off the attacker and retreat to a safe area where he called for emergency help,” according to Whitney. “A plumber who was at the location to fix the water lines helped our CSO by applying a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding.”
Officers arrived and tended to the wounded officer and took him to a hospital, where he was treated and is in stable condition, Whitney said.
“The suspect lived in the same condo complex and was located near his residence,” Whitney said. “He was taken into custody and later booked at Orange County Jail.”
A possible motive for the attack was not immediately apparent and detectives continue to investigate the stabbing, Whitney said.