A fatal stabbing erupted over a gas station dispute in Redwood Village, San Diego, where a 33-year-old Hispanic man lost his life on Friday afternoon, authorities report. According to the San Diego Police Department, at around 1:15 p.m., officers arrived on the scene at a gas station in the 5900 block of University Ave to find the victim succumbing to a stab wound to the torso after a physical altercation.

The heated exchange, captured by gas station witnesses, escalated from verbal to violent when the victim and suspect, who were reportedly known to each other, engaged in a fight that led to the stabbing. The victim punched the suspect, and they began fighting, which resulted in the suspect stabbing the victim. The unnamed suspect, also 33 and Hispanic, stayed at the scene and was later taken to the hospital with head injuries received during the incident and subsequently released by the police pending further investigation.

Homicide detectives are on the hunt for the trigger of the conflict and are digging deep into the backgrounds of both men involved. Interviews with potential witnesses and analysis of existing video evidence are ongoing steps in piecing together the chain of events leading to the tragedy, as stated in the report by San Diego officials. Several witnesses, yet to be identified, had left the area before the police arrived and are currently being sought after for their account of the events.

The authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward. They can reach out to the Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.