Suspect arrested in double stabbing at Santa Rosa restaurant

A Santa Rosa man was arrested Sunday morning on suspicion of stabbing and seriously injuring two security guards at a Santa Rosa restaurant and bar, police said.

Jose Santiago Lopez-Mendoza, 31, stabbed the guards around 12:30 a.m. at the front of La Perla Tapatia after he and his friends were kicked out of the Santa Rosa Avenue restaurant and bar for being overly intoxicated, police said. The guards, whose identities weren’t released, were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, although they weren’t considered life-threatening.

Lopez-Mendoza, who fled on foot with the knife in hand, was found a few hundred yards away on Colgan Avenue, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Dan Marincik said.

He had “significant amounts” of blood on his hands and clothing, police said in a statement. Lopez-Mendoza was taken with minor injuries to a hospital, where he became combative and spit on medical staff attempting to treat him, police said.

He was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, battery and possession of a controlled substance.

Police said the knife wasn’t located.

No other details were available Sunday.

Anyone with information about the stabbing should call the Santa Rosa Police Department’s Violent Crimes Investigation Team at 707-543-3590.

You can reach Staff Writer Hannah Beausang at 707-521-5214 or hannah.beausang@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @hannahbeausang.