tool name

Monday, Jan. 25, 2010

Man stabbed by neighbor during fight with brother

SANTA NELLA — A fight between two brothers led to a stabbing Friday night after a neighbor got involved.

Two brothers were allegedly fighting at their home at the Santa Nella Trailer Park when Joshua Westfall, 28, came into the brothers' trailer and started hitting one of the brothers.

Westfall allegedly knocked the victim to the ground, hit him in the face and stabbed him in the forearm.

The victim’s brother refused to talk to the two Merced County Sheriff’s deputies who responded to the call, and drinking was suspected. Westfall wasn't at the victim’s home when the deputies arrived, nor was he at his own home.

The victim was taken by a friend to Los Banos Memorial for stitches.

The next day, deputies returned to Westfall's mobile home because of a report that Westfall was possibly selling drugs from his residence. Westfall told deputies he had heard a fight in his friend's trailer and tried to break it up when the victim hit him with a screwdriver. Westfall denied using a knife and said he was only defending himself.

Westfall was booked on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and remains in jail on $30,000 bail.

-- Carol Reiter