Assault of Lone Victim by Five Attackers Brings Large Police Response Tuesday Evening

The assault of young man by a group of five attackers, one of whom fired a shot into the air and another who held a knife, brought a large tactical response from Pasadena patrol and Special Enforcement Section officers, a police helicopter and a canine unit in an incident which ended in the 500 block of North Wilson Avenue just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.

All five suspects were arrested, said Pasadena Police Lt. John Luna. The gun was recovered.

The victim, an 18-year-old Pasadena man, suffered abrasions to his chest and back and a facial contusion, but refused medical treatment, Luna said.

The attack was possibly gang related, according to authorities..

Luna said the suspects confronted the victim in Newton Alley, which is a short dsyance from Wilson Avenue.

“The victim was physically assaulted with bodily force and possibly struck with an unknown blunt object,” Luna said. “During the altercation one of the suspects produced a handgun and fired a single gunshot into the air and another suspect produced a knife.”

Responding police arrested all suspects nearby.

A field showup was conducted and the suspects were positively identified, Luna said.

Four of the suspects are “Hispanic juvenile males,” he said, and the fifth is Jonathan Diaz Camargo, 18, a Sylmar resident. Camargo is being held on $70,000 in lieu of bail, according to booking records.

No further information about the incident would be released at this time, Luna said.