A New Jersey man was under arrest Saturday on suspicion of attempted murder in Murrieta, authorities said.
Officers responded to the Waterstone Apartments at 24850 Hancock Ave. around 10:30 p.m. Thursday to multiple reports of a man chasing another man with a knife, the Murrieta Police Department announced. They determined that an altercation occurred between the two men in the apartment complex parking lot when one of them produced a knife and stabbed the other.
The injured man was rushed to a hospital by an unidentified person before police arrived. Authorities believe the unidentified person may have important information regarding the altercation.
The Murrieta PD’s initial response included the department’s Drone as First Responder system, which was deployed and arrived while officers were still en route. The drone located the suspect in the apartment complex parking lot and guided officials to his location where he was detained without further incident, police said.
The suspect was identified as 37-year-old Gekeith McDuffie of Jersey City, New Jersey. McDuffie was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He was expected to appear in court Wednesday at the Murrieta Southwest Justice Center.
The injured man, identified as 32 years old, was hospitalized in serious condition, according to the police department.
Anyone with additional information regarding the altercation was encouraged to contact detective B. Williams at 951-970-8965 and reference case number MR26-3127.