Stabbing suspect sneaked into Rescue Mission to commit crime

Law enforcement officers in the Coachella Valley said it is not uncommon for transients to carry weapons. They may need it to cut through brush, to open canned food, or for defense against snakes or other people.

However, a stabbing at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission on Tuesday came as a shock to both workers and clients.

“I wouldn’t be alive right now. I’d be homeless and out on the streets, but they give me a place to live and to eat,” resident Robert Phillips told KESQ News Channel 3’s and CBS Local 2’s Katie Widner.

Phillis, who has been staying there for the past month, said the stabbing came as a surprise.

“I’ve never seen that. Especially over a pack of cigarettes,” he said.

The victim was said to have been inside the Annex Shelter Intake Center, watching television, when the attacker sneaked in, seeking revenge for an earlier argument. The victim was an unidentified man from Texas who was staying in the transition center. He suffered stab wounds in the chest and abdomen. He was transported to a local hospital and is expected to be OK.

The suspect was identified by the Indio Police Department as 20-year-old Anthony Edward Sanchez of Riverside. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

The Mission says it was the first violent attack in its 48-year history.

“The Mission accepts no one, in any of our programs, that has any kind of a crIme dealing with being a sexual predator, an arsonist or a crime with weapons,” said Executive Director Darla Burkett.

In fact, Burkett said there is security check before clients are allowed to enter the facility.

“They come in. They get to this table. They empty out their pockets. We scan them. We scan their body and we look through all of their stuff,” said emergency shelter manager Martina Ochoa.

“They check our backpacks.” Phillips said. “Absolutely. If I have something, they’re going to find it.”

Employees said they are happy to be back to the business of serving the community.

“We care very much for our clients and we are always, always looking out for their best interest,” said Ochoa.