Man arrested in friend's stabbing death in Baldwin Park

BALDWIN PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was arrested in the stabbing death of his friend in Baldwin Park on Friday after an argument between the two turned deadly.

Detectives were finding their key evidence atop a roof. A bloody knife was used to murder the man.

Detectives said around midnight, an argument between three men in a garage in the 4000 block of Harlan Avenue got overheated and turned deadly.

The victim, later identified as 43-year-old Gilbert Ochoa Jr., was found laying in a driveway of a home with a stab wound to his chest.

Investigators said Ochoa was visiting the home when things boiled over.

Prior to the incident, the homeowner of the residence was having a conversation with Ochoa in the garage. The suspect, 54-year-old Steven Barron, who was the homeowner's tenant, entered the garage and started an argument with the victim that led to a fight.

Ochoa struck the suspect with a metal pipe but the suspect then gained control of the pipe, striking the victim and stabbing him with a knife, according to police.

"It turned into a fist fight and then a stabbing occurred. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene," said Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Detective Steve Rubino.

Authorities weren't saying what the heated argument was about but they said the men appeared to be friends until their anger got the best of them.

Barron was taken to a local hospital with an injury to his forearm and was later released. He was transported to Baldwin Park Police Department and booked for murder. He was being held in lieu of $2 million bail.

Resident Xavier Gonzales said he was shocked such violence happened in the heart of his community, but not everyone saw it that way. Some people said anything can happen anywhere.

"You got to take care of yourself, your surroundings and just be careful with the company you keep and try to stay out of trouble," said Baldwin Park resident Santiago Medrano.

Download the free ABC7 Los Angeles app for breaking news, weather and local stories on-the-go