December 16, 2022 - Merced - On December 15, 2022, at approximately 1:13 P.M., Merced Police Detectives arrested Steven Anthony Perez (60) of Merced for attempted murder. Perez was wanted for nearly stabbing a man to death after an altercation in the Target parking lot.

At approximately 10:38 A.M., a stabbing victim arrived at Mercy Hospital. The victim said he was stabbed in the Target parking lot. Officers located video surveillance of the incident. The victim was sitting in his vehicle after shopping at Target. Perez was leaving the parking lot on a bicycle when he and the victim had a brief verbal altercation. Several minutes later, Perez returned with a knife that he bought at Target. Perez repeatedly stabbed the victim who was still seated in his vehicle.

The victim went to Mercy Hospital to seek medical treatment. He was eventually flown to a regional trauma center for life threatening stab wounds.

Detectives responded to assist with the investigation. Perez’s bicycle was located at an apartment complex behind Target. Perez was also located in the apartment complex and taken into custody without incident. Perez was booked into the Merced County Jail.

Case Number: 2022-72542

Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this incident to contact Detective Edwin Arias at 209-388-7826 or by email at ariase@cityofmerced.org.

Other ways to contact us or report crime include:

For any emergency call or text 911

For non-emergency call 209-385-6912

Anonymous Tip Line (Non-emergency) call 209-385-4725

Anonymous Tips online at http://www.mercedareacrimestoppers.org/index.html.

Some crimes can be reported online through the Merced PD website https://www.cityofmerced.org/departments/police.

Source: Merced Police Department