Lopez Lake stabbing suspect charged with attempted murder

An Arroyo Grande man was charged with two counts of attempted murder Tuesday, one for each woman who was hospitalized with critical but not life-threatening injuries Saturday.

If convicted, Alberto Isaac Gonzalez-Penaloza, 26, could be sentenced to up to life in state prison.

The charges both carry felony enhancements for domestic violence and for using a shotgun and two knives to allegedly carry out the crime.

Deputies were dispatched Saturday morning to a remote property near Lopez Lake after receiving a report of a stabbing. On arrival, responders found two victims, including one who still had a knife stuck in her neck. The victims were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment of their injuries, while deputies began a search for the suspect, Gonzalez-Penaloza.

The search lasted two hours and involved a California Highway Patrol Helicopter, area SWAT officers, an armored vehicle and search dogs. When Gonzalez-Penaloza was finally apprehended, “he was dehydrated and delusional,” according to Sgt. Dave Nottenkamper of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.

Gonzalez-Penaloza is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning in San Luis Obispo Superior Court. He is in custody at San Luis Obispo County Jail, where he is being held on $1 million bond.

This story was originally published September 12, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Lopez Lake stabbing suspect charged with attempted murder."