Police arrest Turlock man, 19, as suspect in Merced Food 4 Less employee stabbing

A 19-year old Turlock man was arrested Thursday as a suspect in the stabbing of a Food 4 Less employee in Merced last month.

The incident occurred on June 29 at the Food 4 Less in Merced located at 1115 West Olive Ave.

A store employee confronted a suspect who was leaving the store with items in his hand. After a short scuffle, the suspect stabbed the employee with a sharp object, Merced police said in a news release.

The victim was taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition.

With help from the public, officers were able to identify the suspect as Juan Guzman, 19, of Turlock and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Turlock police officers located Guzman during a traffic stop around 12:30 a.m. Thursday. He was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail.

Merced Police Department Gang Officers served a search warrant in the 1100 block of Park Street in Turlock at 9 a.m. on Thursday.

Guzman was transferred to the Merced County Jail and booked on suspicion of attempted homicide. He is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, according to jail records.

Merced police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Officer Taylor Rocha at 209-388-7770 or by email at RochaT@CityofMerced.org.