Police hold man in public knife attack

Costa Mesa police have arrested a man who they say threw a knife at a passerby on a city street.

Jesus Garcilazo, 23, of Costa Mesa was standing in the middle of Placentia Avenue, waving an open folding knife, yelling and threatening people near 19th Street about 2 a.m. Monday, Costa Mesa police Lt. Greg Scott said.

An officer responding to a call about a knife-wielding man found Garcilazo in the 1900 block of Placentia, where he reportedly threw the knife at a pedestrian, Scott said.

Police said Garcilazo released the knife as he was walking north on the westside of Placentia, but missed hitting a 20-year-old Costa Mesa man, who was walking south on the same side of the street.

Scott described the two men as strangers.

Officers arrested Garcilazo and booked him into Costa Mesa’s jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck