OXNARD : Alleged Killing by Son Unexplained

Oxnard police said Tuesday that they were stumped by what may have motivated an unemployed Oxnard man who they say stabbed his father, killing the 49-year-old man.

Jesus Gonzales Garcia Jr., 31, was waiting for police about 9 p.m. Monday when they arrived at the Birch Street home where he lived with his father, Jesus Gonzales Garcia Sr., and mother, Maria.

His father lay in the driveway, bleeding from a knife wound to the abdomen. He died half an hour later at St. John’s Regional Medical Center.

Despite the younger Garcia’s admission that he stabbed his father, a motive for the attack was unclear, said Oxnard Police Detective Bob Stofey.

“There was just the two of them by themselves in a room with no witnesses,” Stofey said. “We don’t know if there was any argument or if there had been bad blood between them. . . . We’re still at a dead end.”

The mother was home at the time of the stabbing, but was in another part of the house and did not report hearing an argument, Detective Dan Christian said.

“As far as we can ascertain, Garcia and his son did not appear to have had any big problems, or have a history of arguments,” Christian said.

Police found an eight-inch chef’s knife at the scene that they believe that the younger Garcia used to stab his father, he said.

When he was taken into custody, the younger Garcia told officers that he was responsible, but did not explain why he had stabbed his father, Christian said.

“He gave a statement, but was not very revealing,” Christian said.