Man Stabbed to Death in Stanton Fight Over Parking

STANTON —  A man was stabbed to death with a butcher knife and four others were injured after a parking space dispute between two families erupted into violence early Saturday, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said.

Carlos Mondragon, 28, of Stanton suffered stab wounds to the upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.

His brother, Ricardo Acosta, 20, was treated at UCI Medical Center in Orange for stab wounds in his back and right shoulder and released.

Details of the fight, which occurred about 2 a.m. at 8851 Pacific Ave., were sketchy. Sheriff’s investigators said they recovered a 10-inch knife nearby.

James Kevin Gowin, 33, of Stanton was among three relatives who lived across the street and were taken to area hospitals after the melee. He was treated for cuts on his hands and arms at Western Medical Center-Anaheim and released.

After a preliminary investigation, Gowin was arrested about 11:35 a.m. Saturday on suspicion of stabbing Mondragon to death, Sheriff’s Lt. Harold Schaffroth said.

Gowin’s two sisters--Renay C. Arnold, 29, and Michelle A. Mink, 32, both from Anaheim--were taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange for treatment of their injuries and released.