Man stabbed during fight in La Habra remains hospitalized

A man remained hospitalized Tuesday, July 30, and has refused to cooperate with police after he was stabbed during a fight in La Habra on Monday, police said.

Jay Campos, 57, confronted Joseph Martinez, 49, a resident of Georgia, at an apartment on the 800 block of West La Habra Boulevard Monday at about 5:55 p.m., La Habra Police Sgt. Jose Rocha said. An argument turned into a physical altercation, and Campos was stabbed multiple times. He was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition Tuesday evening, police said in a statement.

“He was undergoing different surgeries, but is alert,” Rocha said.

Campos has declined to provide a statement to police, Rocha said. Martinez was detained, and spoke to authorities about the altercation at the apartment. He was later released, and has been cooperating with investigators.

The Police Department said in a statement that it will submit evidence regarding the incident to the Orange County District Attorney’s office, which will decide whether or not  charges will be filed. Neither of the men involved in the fight had been taken into custody or booked on suspicion of any crime as of Tuesday evening.

Officials did not suggest why Campos made contact with Martinez on Monday evening, or what they might have been fighting about. Martinez was visiting friends in La Habra when the argument took place, Rocha said. He added that the two men knew each other prior to the altercation, but “they were not friends.”

La Habra police have asked anyone with information relevant to their investigation to contact officers by dialing 562-383-4300.