A 30-year-old Sherman Oaks man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the stabbing of an employee in a Pavilions parking lot, police said Thursday.
Jonathan Rangel was taken into custody Wednesday by the California Highway Patrol and turned over to Los Angeles Police Department Van Nuys Division detectives, according to the LAPD.
His bail was set at $1.1 million.
The employee was stabbed in the back while taking out the trash around 10:55 p.m. Tuesday at the Pavilions located at 14845 Ventura Blvd., about five blocks west of Van Nuys Boulevard, police said.
The victim was taken to a hospital with stable vital signs.
Police initially described the suspect as a male wearing glasses who fled the scene.
Van Nuys detectives began an investigation that led to the identification of Rangel and his vehicle, according to the LAPD. The information was shared with surrounding law enforcement agencies, leading to Rangel’s arrest by the CHP the following day.
Video from the scene showed an injured man wearing what appeared to be his grocery store uniform being loaded into an ambulance.
Video also showed at least a dozen LAPD officers and five Los Angeles Fire Department personnel at the scene helping the victim and conducting various investigative tasks.
A representative for Albertsons issued a statement in response to questions from City News Service:
“The safety of our associates and customers is our top priority. We are aware of the incident that occurred outside our store and are focused on supporting our associate. Because this is an active investigation, we cannot provide additional details at this time.”
Anyone with information regarding the investigation was urged to contact Van Nuys Division detectives at 818-374-9500. During non-business hours or on weekends, callers may contact 877-LAPD-24-7. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.