2 stabbed and 1 dog killed at campground on San Joaquin River

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said two campers were stabbed and a dog was stabbed to death Saturday night at Lost Lake Park on the San Joaquin River north of Fresno city limits.

Sgt. Jeff Stricker said the two stabbing victims were taken to a nearby hospital; he was unsure Saturday night what their conditions were.

Stricker did not disclose identities of the victims but said they may be related.

Lt. Robert Woodrum said that just before 9:30 p.m. deputies received reports of a disturbance in an overnight campground area. Officers arrived to find the two stabbing victims and the dead dog.

Woodrum said witnesses told deputies that a fight broke out between two groups of people at the campground after two dogs, one from each group, began fighting each other. During the fight a suspect, not yet identified, from one of the groups began stabbing one of the dogs. The two victims were stabbed while trying to get the suspect to stop stabbing the dog.

Woodrum said a beer bottle was also used in the fight but he was unsure how it was used.

After the melee, two suspects tried to get away by car, but authorities tracked it from above by helicopter and caught up to the car across the street from Table Mountain Casino. Kelly Cox, 48, and Jimmy Cox, 36, were arrested and booked into Fresno County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon, and Kelly received an additional charge of attempted murder.

This story was originally published August 25, 2018 at 11:01 PM.