Fan stabbed at Mexico vs. Qatar match at Levi's Stadium; police looking for suspects
Police have announced an arrest following an incident that saw a fan stabbed during Sunday’s Gold Cup match between Mexico and Qatar.
“On July 4, 2023, detectives from the Sacramento Police Department’s East and Central Command Violent Crime Reduction Team and the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) arrested suspect Alejandro Garcia-Villanueva at his residence,” read an SCPD statement on the matter.
SCPD said on Wednesday that Garcia-Villanueva has been charged with attempted murder. On Monday police described the victim as being in critical but stable condition.
Towards the end of Qatar's 1-0 win in the group stages of the Concacaf Gold Cup at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara police said officers responded to an active fight in the stadium. When officers arrived, a man was found with "a visible wound on his upper collar bone area." The victim was then taken to a local hospital.
After talking with witnesses and reviewing security footage, police said the victim was stabbed in the collar bone area with a knife in the altercation. Multiple videos on social media showed a person with a knife in their hand during the alleged fight.
Police said the suspect fled the scene and they are looking for him. He is described as a male between 25 to 35 years old with short dark hair, as well as a thin mustache and beard. He was seen with a woman with dark colored hair and sunglasses and she is considered a person of interest. Both suspects were wearing Mexico national team jerseys at the game.
Mexico soccer condemns stabbing
The Mexican Soccer Federation issued a statement condemning violence among fans, adding it is willing to work with local authorities to "prevent these acts from being repeated in any stadium."
The victim, identified by NBC Bay Area as Emmanuel Díaz Leal, is expected to make a full recovery from the stabbing, but isn't able to drink due to his injuries. He also questioned how someone was able to get a weapon inside the stadium.
Contributing: Pro Soccer Wire
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fan stabbed at Mexico-Qatar soccer match at Levi's Stadium
