Yesterday's run to the stores in San Marcos took a sharp turn when a person was stabbed at a popular shopping center and the attacker slipped away before deputies could catch up. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department says the assault happened around 8:36 PM at the retail complex on Center Drive, and the victim was taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Suspect description
Deputies are looking for a 25-year-old man who was last seen heading toward the Costco at the Center Drive retail complex. According to NBC 7 San Diego, the suspect was wearing gray pants, a black shirt with a Vans logo and a black hat. Authorities are urging anyone who spots someone matching that description to call 9-1-1 immediately and avoid approaching him.
Victim condition and investigation
The stabbing occurred in the large retail complex at 700 Center Drive, where deputies say one person was stabbed at about 8:36 PM. "The victim's wounds are thought to be non-life-threatening," sheriff's deputies told NBC 7 San Diego. Investigators remained at the scene Friday night, canvassing the area for witnesses and pulling surveillance video from businesses in the complex as they worked to piece together what led up to the attack.
How to help and local context
Anyone with information, eyewitness accounts or video footage is asked to contact the San Marcos Sheriff's Station or call 9-1-1. For non-emergency tips, residents can call the San Marcos Station at 760-510-5200, per the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
The 700 block of Center Drive and the surrounding area have seen violent incidents before. In 2023, a teenager was injured in a parking-lot stabbing outside a Walmart in San Marcos, as reported by ABC 10News. There was also a separate downtown stabbing chronicled by Hoodline, adding to concerns about recurring violence in the broader San Marcos area.
