NICE, Calif. – A Northshore man is facing charges including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon after authorities say he stabbed his neighbor during a Sunday fight.
James Fredrick Ledesma, 40, of Nice was arrested by sheriff's deputies shortly after the incident, which occurred late on Sunday morning, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Just before noon on Sunday sheriff's deputies responded to a residence located in the 6000 block of Crump Avenue in Nice for a report of an assault, Brooks said.
When the deputies arrived on scene they located a male stabbing victim on the residence's front porch, according to Brooks.
Brooks said the man appeared to have been stabbed multiple times and was bleeding profusely. Deputies administered first aid to the victim until medical personnel arrived and took over his medical care.
The victim told deputies that Ledesma had become angry and stabbed him because he had alluded to Ledesma being a thief, Brooks reported.
According to the victim's account, Ledesma walked over to his residence and they began to argue. Brooks said the two began to fight and during the altercation Ledesma stabbed him three times.
An air ambulance responded to a landing zone set up near Sentry Market to transport the victim. Brooks said the man was taken to an out-of-county trauma center.
Brooks said Tuesday that the latest information he had on the victim's condition is that he remained in intensive care but is doing well.
“It appears he will recover,” Brooks said.
Deputies located a surveillance system at the victim's residence which appeared to have recorded the entire incident, Brooks said.
Brooks said deputies were able to rewind the system and watch as the victim walked out onto the porch and talked to someone off camera. Ledesma appeared within view of the camera and removed a knife from his pocket as they continued to argue.
The victim kicked at Ledesma and they began to physically fight. Brooks said the surveillance system showed Ledesma stabbing the victim multiple times.
Brooks said the video also showed witnesses break up the fight and law enforcement arriving on scene.
Deputies subsequently arrested Ledesma on Sunday afternoon and transported him to the Lake County Jail, Brooks said.
Brooks said Ledesma is a sex offender registrant who the sheriff's office has come in contact with due to compliance checks. He said he had no record of other local criminal cases involving Ledesma.
The Megan's Law Web site showed that Ledesma lives at an address in the same block as where the fight took place.
District Attorney Don Anderson said Ledesma was arraigned in Lake County Superior Court on Tuesday.
During his Tuesday court appearance, Ledesma was assigned a defense attorney and his bail was raised from the $200,000 set at booking to $1 million at the request of the prosecution, Anderson said.
Anderson said his office is charging Ledesma with attempted murder; assault with a deadly weapon – in this case, a knife; a special allegation of being armed with a knife; and a prior prison term for his September 2000 rape and sodomy conviction in Sonoma County.
Ledesma is due to return to court on Dec. 1 for entry of plea in the case, Anderson said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Man charged with attempted murder for Sunday stabbing
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On