Man in wheelchair stabbed to death near downtown Fresno identified

A man in a wheelchair who was stabbed to death near downtown Fresno on Tuesday afternoon has been identified.

Police on Wednesday said Charles Kerns, 41, was killed in the incident near Belmont and Roosevelt avenues.

The stabbing happened around 4:30 p.m. and arriving officers found Kerns outside Gateway Market with multiple wounds.

Police said Kerns crossed Belmont in his wheelchair when the suspect, identified as a 19-year-old man, followed and attacked him.

Kerns had multiple stab wounds to his upper torso and eventually fell out of his wheelchair and onto the sidewalk, police said.

He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Police said multiple people witnessed the stabbing and some chased after the suspect as he tried to flee. The suspect was later found and arrested at a home near Echo Avenue, about a half-mile from the scene of the stabbing.

Police initially declined to release the suspect’s name but on Thursday identified him as 19-year-old Nickolas Irving. Murder charges have been filed against Irving by the District Attorney’s Office.

It was the 56th homicide of the year in Fresno.

This story was originally published September 22, 2021 at 3:59 PM.