Fatal stabbing at Montgomery High School preceded by confrontation outside classroom, police say

A suspect and two victims involved in the fatal stabbing Wednesday morning at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa were part of an earlier altercation between two separate groups, police said Friday.

Authorities are trying to identify and interview participants in the confrontation, which occurred outside the classroom where Jayden Pienta, 16, was stabbed at about 11:10 a.m., Santa Rosa police Sgt. Chris Mahurin told The Press Democrat.

The detail is the latest in the emerging timeline of events surrounding the fatal stabbing that has shaken the school district, the community and forced students to demand improved safety measures.

Pienta died after being stabbed during a fight inside an art class occupied by 27 students, including a 15-year-old freshman identified as a suspect. Police said he and another 16-year-old student entered the room and started a fight with the suspect.

A teacher and three staff members rushed to stop the fight but it resumed and ended with the younger student stabbing the other two with a folding knife. Pienta was stabbed once in the chest and twice in his back. The other victim was stabbed in his hand.

On Friday, Mahurin said investigators determined two one-on-one encounters took place.

The first involved Pienta and the suspect while the other 16-year-old waited near the classroom’s door. As an injured Pienta fled, a second fight involving the other victim took place, for reasons to be determined, police said.

“That’s what we’re trying to get a clear understanding of,” Mahurin said, adding that a “very short” amount of time separated the encounters.

The second victim’s mother, Maria Cervantes, told The Press Democrat her son never entered the classroom. He arrived after the first fight and stepped in because he believed an injured Pienta was being chased by the suspect.

As of Friday, Cervantes said her son’s hand was healing but he remains emotionally distraught and “torn up” about losing his friend.

Mahurin said “a good majority” of the people in the art class had been interviewed and investigators are reviewing footage from their cell phones and school surveillance cameras.

Tips from witnesses led to the suspect being located at about 11:51 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Santa Rosa Creek behind St. Eugene Cathedral School at the corner of Montgomery Drive and Farmers Lane.

The knife was never recovered.

The suspect, who has not been named because he is a minor, remains in custody at the county’s Juvenile Justice Detention Center while the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office considers charges.

District Attorney Carla Rodriguez issued a statement Thursday night that a thorough investigation would take place before her office makes a decision on charges.

Further investigation will focus on the relationship between the suspect and the victims, including whether they’ve had any previous disputes.

In the aftermath of the stabbing, students across the Santa Rosa City Schools district spoke out about the need for better safety protocols and communication.

On Friday, district officials held a gathering at Montgomery High School to offer support for anyone who needed assistance in the wake of the stabbing.

Press Democrat reporter Andrew Graham contributed to this story

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi