Gabriel Vargas, the 19-year-old Ventura College student who was repeatedly stabbed by four men who attacked him in the college library two weeks ago returned to class Monday.
Three Santa Paula men were arrested while police continue to search for the other suspect. Two were arrested on Thursday, Nov. 1 at VC, and the other on Sunday, Nov. 4 in Santa Paula.
Full-time college student Gabriel Vargas of Fillmore survived the attack primarily because two college staff members intervened while nursing and paramedic students administered immediate first aid.
“The story here is the selflessness and heroism of those who stepped in to stop the altercation and save the victim,” said Ventura College President Dr. Robin Calote. “I want to recognize and add my accolades to the professors and student paramedics for their courageous acts.”
The Ventura PD reported that Vargas was in the second floor men’s bathroom at 9:39 a.m. Thursday when four men accosted and stabbed him. The four men fled the scene. According to VCCCD Police Chief James. Botting, two were arrested before leaving campus, while the others escaped.
Professors Bob Moskowitz, Chair of the VC Art Department, and Simon Waltzer, a speech and English professor, broke up the fight and Karina Prado, a nursing student, and an anonymous paramedic student administered first aid on Vargas until medical assistance arrived.
Samuel Saldana, 19, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism and Anthony Nevarez, 18, accused of possession of a firearm on a college campus and resisting arrest. They were arrested at VC, while Jose Sebastian, 27, was arrested on Sunday; all three suspects are from Santa Paula. The Police are investigating further the causes of this incident, but they believe it may be gang related. Vargas claims that the incident was a mistake and the assailants were looking for someone else.
“(It was) just a situation,” he says. “A problem they had with another guy from Fillmore and they came to me.”
Vargas says that he didn’t know his assailants; he said that he had “seen them before” but that he “didn’t associate with them.” He also claims that two of his assailants were students at VC, the college refused to release any information about whether or not they attend the school. Botting however says that all three suspects were students at VC.
Vargas was released from the hospital last week, and according to Botting he returned to class on Monday.
