A Turlock man was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Donnelly Park in connection to a fatal stabbing of a man in the Bay Area on Saturday.
Timothy Andrew Guerra, 19, of Turlock was booked into Stanislaus County Jail on Wednesday and is expected to be transferred to San Mateo County, where he will be charged with murder in the death of Denis Meshchyshyn, 19.
Guerra, who was described as an acquaintance of Meshchyshyn, is accused of stabbing the man to death during a fight in a Belmont parking lot.
Around 7:30 p.m. Saturday the Belmont Police Department was dispatched to the 600 block of Masonic Way, on a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, first responders found Meshchyshyn suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died from his injuries, according to the Belmont Police Department.
Witnesses told investigators that they found Meshchyshyn fighting with an unknown suspect and the suspect ran off westbound on Masonic Way, toward Old County Rd. They realized that Meshchyshyn had been stabbed and called 911.
Belmont Police investigators identified Guerra as a suspect and learned he was in the Turlock area. The detectives contacted the Turlock Police Department, which assisted in locating and keeping Guerra under surveillance for the Belmont Police Department.
The Belmont Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for Guerra and on Wednesday traveled to Turlock, where he was apprehended without incident around 5:40 p.m. in Donnelly Park.
"We wouldn't have solved this tragic crime so quickly without the support of our law enforcement partners and the cooperation of many witnesses,” said Belmont Police Chief Dan DeSmidt in a news release. The Belmont Police would specifically like to thank the San Mateo Police, San Mateo County Sheriff, San Mateo County District Attorney, Turlock Police, Stanislaus County Sheriff, Stanislaus County Probation and Belmont Fire Department, for assistance provided during this investigation.
Earlier on Wednesday a witness in the case reported that they had possibly seen Guerra at the Belmont Caltrain Station, boarding a northbound train. The train was held for approximately 10 min at the downtown San Mateo Station and searched, but it was a false alarm.
As of Thursday night, Guerra was being held at the Stanislaus County Jail without bail. A photo of Guerra was not released because the investigation is ongoing.
