Man arrested after knife fight

Greg Risling

COSTA MESA -- Police on a two-hour manhunt in an East Side neighborhood

Wednesday turned up a 23-year-old Los Angeles man suspected of stabbing

another man and then ramming a police squad car to evade arrest.

Police scoured the neighborhood near Elden and Del Mar avenues using

bloodhounds and K-9 units, eventually finding Joseph Edward Marion in a

home there after the resident noticed his furniture astray, authorities

said.

The victim, a 32-year-old Newport Beach man, suffered multiple stab

wounds to the neck, shoulder and stomach. He was taken to Western Medical

Center in Santa Ana where he was listed in stable condition following

surgery.

Marion was detained by police on suspicion of one count of attempted

murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He is being held in Costa Mesa

Jail.

The manhunt, which also involved Newport Beach and Irvine police, ended

when the resident informed authorities at about 6:30 p.m. that some

furniture in his home had been moved. When officers came to investigate,

they found Marion squeezed in a crawl space above a water heater, police

said.

The unusual chain of events started around 3:30 p.m. at the Sea Lark

Motor Hotel at 2274 Newport Boulevard. The victim and Marion reportedly

got into a dispute and began fighting. Marion then pulled out a knife and

stabbed the victim numerous times, police said.

Following the fight, Marion got into a maroon Toyota Corolla with a

30-year-old female and sped away, police said. Moments later, the vehicle

was spotted by a police officer who cornered the driver at a Shell gas

station on the corner of Newport Boulevard and Del Mar Avenue.

Police said that’s when Marion went after the officer with the vehicle.

The driver allegedly tried to ram the officer’s squad car not once, but

twice, causing both cars to drive in circles near the Orange County

Fairgrounds.

“He purposely went after our officer and had specific intent to injure

him,” Sgt. Don Holford said. “Every time the officer drove behind him,

the suspect tried to come around and hit the officer’s car.”

The suspect did eventually strike the left rear end of the officer’s

vehicle and then hit a civilian car headed westbound on Del Mar, police

said. Marion managed to drive away from the incident but got a flat tire.

He and his female passenger jumped out of the car at the corner of Del

Mar and Elden Avenue.

Police found the woman a short time later hiding beneath a cover on a

Jacuzzi tub in the backyard of a residence in the neighborhood. She was

taken to Costa Mesa Jail and held for questioning.

Officers cordoned off a half-mile radius around Elden, searching for the

man. Residents were told to stay inside their houses while police combed

the area.

“I heard a loud screech and then saw this cop running down the street,”

said Laura Booth, who sat outside watching the manhunt. “We just had a

guy trying to get away from police on Christmas Eve. This area has been a

hotbed for excitement.”

Police did recover the knife, which was found inside the stolen car.