Thread: Marines, soldier lauded for aiding Long Beach officer

Marines, soldier lauded for aiding Long Beach officer under attack

Servicemen helped hold down suspect after sergeant was assaulted with knife.

By Kelly Puente, Staff Writer
Posted: 10/07/2010 11:16:58 AM PDTUpdated: 10/07/2010 06:25:11 PM PDT

LONG BEACH - Long Beach Police on Thursday commended four active-duty servicemen who rushed to the aid of an injured police sergeant as he struggled with a knife-wielding suspect.

During a news conference, Army Pfc. Abner Marquez was presented with a certificate of appreciation for his act of bravery. The three other men, all Marines based at Camp Pendleton, were not able to attend because they are set to be deployed to Afghanistan, officials said.

"They saw what was going on and didn't stand by, they jumped in and assisted," said Police Chief Jim McDonnell. "Had this intervention not been done, it's anybody's guess how it would have turned out."

Marquez, a 20-year-old Long Beach native, said he and his friends knew they had to act fast when then saw the sergeant bleeding and struggling.

"I don't feel it's something that's courageous," he said. "It's something that were trained to do, something they told us we should do, and something that we wanted to do."

The incident started about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday when police responded to reports of a man brandishing a knife and threatening residents near Fourth Street and Magnolia Avenue. Officers set up a perimeter in the area to search for the suspect, identified as 19-year-old Junior Antonio Fonseca of Long Beach, but did not find him.

As police were leaving the area, a South Division sergeant stayed behind to talk to a young child. Suddenly, the suspect rushed out from an alleyway and

attacked the sergeant with a butter knife, stabbing him three times in the head and left ear area.

The sergeant fired a single shot, missing the suspect, police said.

Marquez said he and his three friends were nearby when they heard the gunshot and rushed to the scene. There they saw the sergeant struggling for his weapon and bleeding profusely from the head.

"We knew we had to go help," he said. "We were more concerned about (the sergeant's) safety because he was bleeding

PFC Abner Marquez of the United States Army Reserve is acknowledged by Long Beach Police Deputy Chief Robert Luna, Chief Jim McDonnell and Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, from left, during a press conference at Police Headquarters on Thursday. (Diandra Jay/Press-Telegram)pretty bad from his left side."

The four men held the suspect down while the sergeant handcuffed him.

Lt. Lloyd Cox said the sergeant is expected to survive but his injures were significant.

"The butter knife did extensive damage," he said, adding that doctors are still trying to determine the level of damage. "He was in a lot of pain last night but he's going to be OK."

Fonseca suffered head and back injuries in the struggle and was treated at a hospital, Cox said. He faces charges of attempted murder on a police officer as well as charges from a prior incident in which he allegedly threatened a resident with a knife, police said.

Residents said Fonseca lives in the neighborhood with his family.

Marquez, a Cabrillo High School graduate who finished Army training in August, said he and his friends were just glad to help.

Authorities said the three Marines' names will not be released because they are set to be deployed. They a 20-year-old from Lemoore, a 19-year-old from Long Beach and a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Long Beach Police Department Homicide Detectives David Rios or Roger Zottneck at 562-570-7244.

kelly.puente@presstelegram.com, (562) 499-1305

http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_16278725

Outstanding,courageous young Americans,getting the job done,because someone had to!

This police officer is lucky to be alive. This is why a knife (even a butter knife) is considered a deadly weapon. Yet when a drunken illegal invader from Guatemala threatens a police officer with a knife and gets killed for it, the illegal invaders and their government go crazy!

They should all read this story, but it would have to be translated into spanish first.