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EL MONTE, Calif. () — Loved ones are remembering a high school football player who was stabbed to death during a fight in El Monte. Two others were also stabbed in the incident.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators are still looking for the suspect or suspects involved in the deadly stabbing last Friday, July 10.
A memorial made up of a cross, candles and flowers marks the spot where Ariel Zacalapa and two others were stabbed around 1 p.m. on Friday in the 9700 block of Fern Street.
The Rosemead High School sophomore died at the hospital, and the other two victims, described as adult males, remain hospitalized in stable condition, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is assisting the El Monte Police Department in the murder investigation.
The sheriff’s department said there was an altercation or fight on Fern Street, across the street from an elementary school. A local hospital notified El Monte police that it took in three stabbing victims, and Ariel didn’t make it.
Off-camera at Rosemead High School, some students said Ariel was a good student and a standout football player. One student added that he was looking forward to his sophomore year and playing football.
One neighbor said he wasn’t able to get home due to the police activity where the fight happened. He added that he was saddened to hear that a teenage boy had died.
The El Monte Union High School District released a statement, saying, in part:
“This tragedy has deeply affected the Rosemead community and those who knew Aziel. Aziel was a promising member of the school’s football program. The District will continue to work with the Rosemead High School Administration on providing support services for students and staff impacted by this.”
The sheriff’s department says they’re still looking into how many suspects were involved in the fight, and they don’t have a description of the suspects involved in the deadly stabbing.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support Ariel’s family.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
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