Santa Rosa stabbing suspect may be in Mendocino County

Santa Rosa police said a man suspected of beating and stabbing his boyfriend may have fled to Mendocino County in a 2006 Toyota Tacoma pickup with license plate 50415W1.|
JULIE JOHNSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Police Tuesday were searching for a Santa Rosa man suspected of punching and stabbing his boyfriend then fleeing to Mendocino County in the man’s pickup, officials said.

Investigators suspect Joseph Walking Elk, 24, broke his boyfriend’s jaw then stabbed him with a knife during a Monday evening argument over marijuana, Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Josh Ludtke said.

The incident occurred about 6:30 p.m. Monday at the couple’s Humboldt Street apartment in the Cherry Street district near downtown.

The boyfriend, who is 46, was punched several times and stabbed, Ludtke said. He wasn’t identified because he is the victim of domestic violence, he said.

Walking Elk left in his boyfriend’s truck, Ludtke said, a black 2006 Toyota Tacoma pickup with license plate 50415W1.

Anyone with information about the case can call Santa Rosa’s police investigations team at 707-543-3590.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor