A 20-year-old Tustin man was charged Tuesday with murder in the fatal stabbing of another man in an unincorporated area near Orange.
Alekszi Melchor is accused of killing 24-year-old Sergio Esquivel Sanchez of Orange early Friday.
Sheriff’s deputies were called at 1:24 a.m. Friday to Rancho Santiago and Hewes Street in response to reports of shouting and fighting, deputies said. While deputies were on scene investigating, they were told a victim was taken to a hospital with a stab wound to the chest, deputies said.
Sanchez was pronounced dead at the hospital, and Melchor was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of killing him, deputies said.
Melchor did not enter a plea at his arraignment Tuesday in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana. His arraignment was rescheduled for July 9 in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
Sanchez was coincidentally due in court as well Tuesday on charges of being a convicted felon carrying a concealed gun, unlawful possession of a concealed weapon, carrying a concealed loaded unregistered gun and being a prohibited person owning ammunition, all felonies, as well as a misdemeanor count of child abuse.
A warrant was issued for his arrest as court officials were unaware he had died. Sanchez pled guilty to a felony count of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury in July 2019.