Off-duty Fullerton police officer stabbed and wounded in Placentia; 19-year-old in custody

A 19-year-old parolee was arrested Saturday evening on suspicion of stabbing an off-duty Fullerton police officer in a strip mall parking lot in Placentia, authorities said.

The officer was being treated in a hospital and information on his condition wasn’t immediately available Saturday night.

James Carrera, 19, of Placentia, was taken into custody after an hours-long search with the Fullerton Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Cal State Fullerton Police Department, Placentia Police officials said.

The officer was in Placentia conducting personal business when he was attacked about 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot on the southeast corner of Kraemer and Yorba Linda boulevards, Placentia Police Sgt. Bryce Angel said.

The suspect used some type of object to stab the officer in the torso, then ran away, Angel said.

Police were trying to determine what led up to the stabbing and whether it was random or happened during a confrontation.

“We’re looking at a bunch of different angles on that,” Angel said.

Anyone with information was urged to contact police at 714-993-8146.