Merced man accused of attacking victim with a car and a knife and stealing his stereo

Atwater police are searching for a man and woman they say assaulted a couple Monday night during an argument over a car accident from last month.

Investigators said Frank Lucia tried to run down a 24-year-old Atwater man around 9:20 p.m. Monday outside an apartment complex in the 800 block of Atwater Boulevard. The victim was not struck by the car. Lucia then climbed out of his brown Chevrolet Lumina, police said, and punched the victim several times before slashing the victim’s chest with a “large red and chrome knife.”

“While this was occurring (Lucia’s sister) was holding the victim’s wife captive with a knife to her throat,” Chief Samuel Joseph said.

The victim suffered a minor chest laceration. He was treated at the scene, police said.

“After the assault, Lucia removed a car stereo, speakers and an amp from the victim’s vehicle,” Joseph said. “The suspects then fled the scene in the brown Lumina.”

The victim told police Lucia “has been harassing” him since the victim “accidentally backed into (Lucia’s) car approximately a month ago,” investigators said.

Joseph said arrests warrants have been issued of Lucia, 30, and his sister, 35-year-old Michelle Alvarado. Both people are Merced residents, according to police.

This story was originally published July 11, 2017 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Merced man accused of attacking victim with a car and a knife and stealing his stereo."