Overview
- A rear-end collision on the I‑5 off-ramp at Tamarack Avenue Sunday night escalated into a violent attack when video shows the suspect punching the 23‑year‑old female driver and then stabbing her 26‑year‑old passenger several times.
- A Good Samaritan, Isaac Mandlawi, blocked traffic to create an escape route, followed the injured vehicle to a secondary stop and helped apply a shirt to the passenger’s wounds before paramedics arrived.
- Officers located and arrested 49‑year‑old Orlando Query Chavez about an hour after the attack; jail records show attempted murder and assault charges, he has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail with a court date set for Aug. 13.
- The male passenger was taken to the hospital with deep stab wounds and remains in intensive care and expected to need multiple surgeries, while the female driver suffered bruising and facial injuries and received treatment.
- Investigators and prosecutors cite eyewitness video, witness photos of paramedic care, and CHP statements as key evidence, and prosecutors noted Chavez has a prior conviction for assault with a deadly weapon.