VALINDA — A 19-year-old man was stabbed to death early Sunday during a brawl between two groups of people, authorities said.
Steven Valadez, a La Puente-area resident, died at the hospital shortly after the melee, which occurred about 12:15 a.m. in a residential neighborhood in the 16200 block of Maplegrove Street, Detective Phillip Martinez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said.
At least three other people were injured during the fight, including at least one additional stabbing victim, according to witnesses and sheriff’s officials.
Brian Pattison, 23, of Colton said he was hanging out at a friend’s house with about nine other people, including Valadez, as a large party was going on two doors down.
“Their party jumped ours,” he said, adding that about 30 people from the large party began attacking the 10 or so people congregated at the other home.
Someone in the larger grouped pulled a knife, and at least two members of the smaller group were stabbed.
Pattison said the larger group also threw bottles at the smaller group.
A woman who answered the door at the home where the large part was declined to comment Sunday.
Martinez said the brawl appeared to have originated as a fist-fight between two people, one from each group.
“One of them started getting the better of the other one, and were still trying to determine who that was,” he said.
About 30 people from the larger party, which was an adult’s birthday celebration, rushed over to the smaller group and a large fight erupted.
David Torres, 19, of Chino said he was in the smaller group and was struck in the head with a bottle during the confrontation, which he said was one-sided.
“Each person was being jumped by like six or seven people,” he said.
The smaller group was made of people in their late teens and early 20s, Martinez said, while the larger group was mainly people in their 20s and 30s.
Pattison and Torres said they were concerned because they believed it took sheriff’s officials about 30 minutes to respond to the call, however sheriff’s officials said the response time was much quicker.
Sgt. Russell Boucher said dispatch logs show that eight minutes elapsed from the time the stabbing was first reported to the time the first deputy arrived on scene.
Friends said Valadez was a graduate of Workman High School and the bass player for a local hardcore rock band called, “Rumor Has It.”
Pattison said Valadez was not the type to go looking for a fight.
“Anybody could get along with him,” he said. “He might look big and tough, but he’s the nicest guy.”
Torres said he already missed his friend.
“Everybody liked Steven,” he said.