Firefighters break up knife attack, detain suspect at San Marcos grocery store

A fight that evolved into a stabbing in a San Marcos grocery store on Wednesday was stopped when a group of nearby firefighters intervened and detained the alleged assailant, sheriff’s officials said.

The incident was reported when two men who were part of a group shopping together at the Stater Bros on East Mission Road near Bennett Avenue got into an argument with one another around 12:20 p.m., Detective Brandon Shelton said.

At some point, one of the men allegedly pulled out a knife and began to attack the other man, Shelton said. A woman in the group attempted to stop the stabbing, and she was also injured.

Several firefighters from the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District witnessed the stabbing and quickly intervened, separating the two men and detaining the alleged assailant, Shelton said.

The firefighters then began administering medical aid to the two victims until paramedics and deputies arrived.

The man who was stabbed suffered serious injuries, and the woman suffered injuries believed not to be life-threatening, Shelton said. They were both taken to a hospital.

The suspect, a 20-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury, according to online arrest logs.

Details about the cause of the argument or the two men’s relationship were not immediately available.