Man stabbed as he and mother are abandoned near Camp Nelson

A man was stabbed several times early Sunday and left with his mother on the side of the road near Camp Nelson after they asked strangers for a ride.

Tulare County sheriff’s deputies said the man and his mother were at an ARCO gas station in Bakersfield around midnight Saturday when they approached the suspects, two young men, for a ride to Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville. The men agreed to give the victims a ride in exchange for gas money.

The suspects drove the victims into Tulare County up Highway 190, passed the casino turnoff and continued toward Springville. The victims told the suspects they had missed the turn. The suspects said they were going a different route to the casino.

The man asked them to stop so he could use the restroom. After he exited the vehicle, one of the suspects stabbed him several times. The suspects then drove off with the woman’s purse in the car, leaving both victims on the side of the road.

A passerby stopped to help the victims and drove them to Springville where they called authorities. The man was taken by ambulance to a Tulare County hospital, where deputies said he was in stable condition.

The suspects’ vehicle is described as a gray Nissan Sentra. They are wanted for kidnapping and attempted murder.

Lt. John Gonzalez said there are no leads yet and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tulare County Sheriff Department detective Klassen or Sgt. Parker at (559) 735-1908 or 1 (800) 808-0488. Anonymous information can be reported via Tipnow: tcso@tipnow.net; text or voice mail at (559) 725-4194.

This story was originally published January 18, 2015 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Man stabbed as he and mother are abandoned near Camp Nelson."