A 24-year-old man was charged Tuesday with stabbing a friend in Santa Ana after inviting the victim over to smoke marijuana.
Yecsi Castelanballinas was charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime and battery with serious bodily injury, all felonies.
Castelanballinas also faces sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury on the victim and the personal use of a deadly weapon.
Castelanballinas invited his friend over to “smoke a joint and something wrong and he stabbed him multiple times,” said Santa Ana Police Department Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
Castelanballinas told police he “apparently has mental health issues,” Bertagna said.
Police initially responded to a call about an “altercation about a gun,” Bertagna said. When the officers arrived they found the victim had been stabbed multiple times and the suspect was arrested, Bertagna said.
The victim was taken to a hospital but his wounds were not considered life-threatening, Bertagna said.