Deadly Stabbing in Santa Cruz Park Stems from Prior Conflict
A deadly stabbing in Santa Cruz’s DeLaveaga Park has left one man dead and another facing murder charges.
The incident occurred just before noon on April 19 in George Washington Grove. Santa Cruz Police Department officers responded to a call and found the victim, who had sustained life-threatening stab wounds.
The victim’s alleged killer, Joseph Dale Young, was taken into custody by police. Detectives believe that the victim and Young were acquainted prior to the stabbing and that their prior negative relationship may have motivated the attack.
‘Mr. Young and the victim had a disagreement, which led to the stabbing,’ the Santa Cruz Police Department said in a statement. ‘This was not a random act of violence, and the victim in this case was targeted due to their prior negative relationship with Mr. Young.’
The motive and circumstances surrounding the stabbing are still under investigation. The victim’s identity will be released by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office once his family is notified.
Young is expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday, where he will face murder charges. The George Washington Grove killing marks the second homicide in Santa Cruz in 2024. In February, a young UC Santa Cruz student, Zainab Mansoor, was strangled to death on Seabright State Beach. A former UCSC student, Samuel Stone, is charged with her murder.
