The victim, who police say does not appear to have any gang affiliations, was stabbed in the chest shortly after midnight by two men, said Merced Police Cmdr. Tom Martin.
He was taken by air ambulance to a Modesto hospital where his condition remained unknown Thursday.
When interviewed by police, the victim said he was riding his bike in the 3100 block of Meadows Avenue when he was approached by the two men.
There was no exchange of words or any type of confrontation before the attack, the victim told police.
He said one of the two men, in his early 20s and armed with a knife, walked up to him and said "I'm sick and tired of you black people around here," and stabbed him in the chest.
When the victim fell to the ground, the two men took off running, and yelling the name of a local criminal street gang, Martin said.
The victim went to a nearby house to ask for assistance and the residents called 911, the commander said.
Both men are described as Latino. The man with the knife is in his early 20s, around 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing around 220 pounds. No description of the knife-wielder's accomplice was available, Martin said.
Meanwhile, police continue to investigate the Tuesday evening shooting of 18-year-old Isador Christopher Diaz, a validated Norteno gang member.
Diaz was shot in the head around 6:30 p.m. by one of three males who got into an argument with Diaz and several other individuals in the 1000 block of Loughborough Drive.
After an exchange of words, one of the men pulled out a handgun and began firing at the group, striking Diaz in the head.
Diaz was taken to a Modesto hospital for treatment of a head wound. On Wednesday, he was listed in stable condition and was being interviewed by detectives, Martin said.
"Witnesses are being interviewed, leads followed, and progress is being made," said Martin, who heads investigations for the department.
A third gang-related shooting in the Loughborough area just over a week ago claimed the life of 16-year-old Jamari Patrick Lloyd Patterson.
The teenager was gunned down in the 1100 block of West Olive Avenue on July 12 as he was walking home from work.
Two boys, 15 and 16, who police say are Nortenos, were arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Reporter Mike De La Cruz can be reached at 385-2474 or mdelacruz@mercedsun-star.com.
