Man cleaning apartment gets stabbed by stranger

A man cleaning an apartment was stabbed by a stranger who attacked him for an unknown reason, Fresno police said.

A 42-year-old man told officers he was cleaning up a vacant unit at the Belmont Apartments, 2435 E. Belmont Ave., around 11 a.m. The suspect, Ricardo Avila, entered the apartment and began yelling at the man in Spanish. The victim could not understand Avila and did not know why he was upset.

Avila pulled out a kitchen knife and began chasing the victim into a parking lot. The man fell down, Avila jumped on him and began trying to stab him. The victim then broke free and ran off, but realized he had been stabbed in the back.

Paramedics were called and treated the victim, who was then transported to Community Regional Medical Center, where he was in fair condition.

While the victim was being treated at the apartment complex, a witness told police that Avila was standing nearby, so officers found him, and arrested him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was taken to Fresno County Jail.

This story was originally published October 10, 2016 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Man cleaning apartment gets stabbed by stranger."