Cal Poly Security Guard Stabbed; Suspect Thought to be College Employee

Pomona, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A security guard for the California Polytechnic State Institute, Pomona was stabbed to death on Friday, and a man suspected of being the assailant, and possibly a custodian at the school, was killed by officers following the attack. 

According to authorities, a parking officer, who had not yet been identified as of late Monday, was patrolling a parking lot in his car when he was attacked. The parking officer was found by a co-worker who called the incident into the police.

Authorities said the suspect fled in his car some miles away, on the other side of campus, where he was apprehended by police and fatally wounded in an officer-involved shooting. The suspect is thought to have possibly been a custodian at the university.

“This is an anomaly. It’s a very tragic day for the university,” said Tim Lynch, a Cal Poly Pomona spokesman, at a news conference Friday night.

Lt. John Corina, with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, said not much was known about the incident, or the suspect, yet.

“The people we talked to, who saw this guy, said he looked out of it,” Corina said in a press conference. “This is an isolated incident, a very strange incident, a very tragic incident.”

It was unclear why the victim, who was unarmed, but does wear a uniform, was attacked, Corina said.

The attack occurred around 4:30 in the afternoon, while the school was holding summer school classes. Summer school started on June 18 and runs through July 24, according to the school’s website. 

Grief counselors were made available to the students, said Cal Poly President Soraya M. Coley, in an email to students.

“One of our campus parking officers was stabbed and killed while working at the Campus South facility. An individual identified as a suspect was later fatally shot by police officers at the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies,” Coley wrote. “Many details are unknown at this point, but we grieve with the family members and loved ones mourning the loss of life today.”

Representatives from the school’s public information office did not immediately return calls for comment by press time. The victim and the suspect had not yet been identified.  

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