More details have been released regarding a 21-year-old Alexandria man held without bond after a stabbing in the city’s Arlandria neighborhood.
In recently-released court documents, the Alexandria Police Department says that Jelzon Garcia Gonzales admitted to doing a “dumb thing” by stabbing a man early Sept. 15 outside a convenience store in the city’s Arlandria neighborhood.
The victim was critically wounded in the attack, with a deep stab wound to his neck and eight stab wounds to his back. He was transported to Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington and taken into emergency surgery.
Jelzon Garcia Gonzales was arrested without incident at a fast food restaurant in the 7000 block of Columbia Pike in Annandale on Sept. 16.
“At the time of his arrest, Mr. Garcia Gonzales had two cell phones and a knife on his person,” APD said in a search warrant affidavit. “Mr. Garcia Gonzales was advised of his Miranda Rights and agreed to speak with your affiant and [an investigator]. He stated he did a ‘dumb thing’ the night before and asked if we wanted to speak about it. Mr. Garcia Gonzales stated that he had stabbed someone the night before after the victim had made a comment to him that made him upset.”
APD found nearby surveillance video showing the victim, a homeless man, sleeping for several hours on the ground near the Tiger Market parking lot (3903 Mount Vernon Avenue) before the suspect allegedly approached at 3:20 a.m.
“[The suspect] makes multiple movements with his right arm and hand toward [the victim’s] body,” APD notes in the affidavit. “While [the victim] remains sitting up, [the suspect] approaches him a second time from behind. [The suspect] extends his right arm in a slashing motion toward the back of [the victim’s] neck.”
APD also said that Garcia Gonzales, a 2023 graduate of Alexandria City High School, was identified as the suspect by his brother and two former classmates after the department released a surveillance photo on social media, according to the affidavit.
“The call notes indicated that [the witness] believed the police were looking for his older brother because his brother had stabbed someone,” APD said in the affidavit.
Garcia Gonzales was also indicted on Monday, Sept. 14, on a charge of failing to stop at the scene of an accident in June. In August, he was found guilty of driving without a license in relation to that incident and was given a suspended sentence of 15 days in jail and a year’s probation.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21, according to Alexandria Circuit Court records.
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