SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A brawl erupted at Lake Murray Sunday after police said a man was stabbed several times in an altercation that was sparked by a missing cell phone.
San Diego police said the incident unfolded by the lake near the 5500 block of Kiowa Drive at around 6:30 p.m.
According to police, a 28-year-old man could not find his cell phone and asked a family member to use an app to track it down. Police said the app pinpointed the phone's location to an area where a 26-year-old man and his family were picnicking.
The 28-year-old man asked the 26-year-old man and his family if they could check their backpacks for the missing phone, but SDPD Lt. Erwin Manansala said, "They opened some bags to let them know we don't have the cell phones and whatnot; at that time, words were exchanged."
As the situation escalated, police said that the 28-year-old man "pulled out a knife and started swinging it around and shouted a gang affiliation."
10News learned the 26-year-old man was stabbed several times in the torso, prompting both groups to start fighting.
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Police said the stabbing victim's family eventually forced the suspected attacker into the lake and prevented him from leaving until officers arrived.
Police said there were reports of some of the family members throwing rocks at the man in the lake, but those reports were not immediately confirmed.
Officers arrested the 28-year-old man, who was not identified, and took him to jail. Two women were detained for questioning but released.
Witnesses told officers the suspected attacker gave a woman the knife, who then threw it into the lake. Police recovered the knife later that night.
The 26-year-old stabbing victim was transported to a local hospital, but police said he's expected to survive.
