South El Monte man killed by deputies after stabbing neighbors with meat cleaver

SOUTH EL MONTE, Calif. (KABC) -- A suspect was fatally shot by sheriff's deputies in South El Monte Tuesday after stabbing his neighbor to death with a meat cleaver and wounding his neighbor's wife.

Police responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon in the 10400 block of Enloe Street at about 12:40 p.m.

Luis Ramirez says his daughter was at her home across the street and witnessed the deadly attack on their neighbors.

"She was just yelling not to kill him, to let him go and she's the one that called 911," Ramirez said.

When deputies arrived, they saw the suspect stabbing the male victim with a meat cleaver in the front yard. The deputies ordered the suspect to put down the meat cleaver, but he refused.

"The suspect was chopping at another male victim, who was down," said Lt. Victor Lewandowski with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "The deputy ordered the suspect to stop the attack, drop the knife, at which time the suspect aggressed the deputy, moved towards the deputy. A deputy-involved shooting ensued. The suspect was initially stopped. He then got up and came at the deputies again, making a statement to the effect of, 'You'll have to kill me.' At that point, a second deputy-involved shooting ensued, striking the suspect."

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

The male victim suffered fatal stab wounds. His wife was transported to a local hospital with a head wound.

The motive for the attack remains unknown.

"I'm trying to understand what was going on," said Ramirez, who described his neighbors as nice people.

Sheriff's deputies initially thought the suspect was holding a machete, but later identified the weapon as a meat cleaver.

No further details were immediately released. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.