Spring Break
Three SJSU Greeks injured in weekend assault
Carly Roden
Daily Staff Writer
According to the police report, the suspects were identified by witnesses at the scene and then booked on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon as well as misdemeanor charges of assault and battery and challenging others to fight.
San Jose police said five 18-year-old suspects - Mario Gonzalez, Ernesto Gonzalez, Orlando Gutierrez, Luis Gonzalez and Sheldon Lee Peeters - were taken to Santa Clara County Jail. The sixth suspect is a 16-year-old girl who was taken to Juvenile Hall. All six suspects are from Newark or Hayward.
The victims - Isaiah L. Gordon III, 19, Richard K. Trueb, 19, and Rogel Jon Esguerra, 24 - are members of SJSU fraternities, according to one SJSU Greek student who asked to remain anonymous. The source said Gordon and Trueb are members of Sigmi Pi, and Esguerra is a member of Theta Chi.
Gordon sustained five stab wounds to his upper chest, lower abdomen, arms and back, said Officer J. Barnard, who was first on the scene, in his statement.
Barnard also said he was advised by staff at San Jose Hospital that, had the wounds not been treated immediately, they would have been fatal.
Trueb was stabbed in both his rib cage and thigh.
Esguerra suffered bruising and swelling on the front of his face, in addition to lacerations on his lips, after being struck with an unknown blunt metal object resembling a baton, according to the report.
The injuries sustained by Trueb and Esguerra were described by police as having been "not life-threatening."
San Jose police said the fight began when the suspects were denied entrance to a "party" at the Sigma Pi house at 182 S. Tenth St.
Angela Harper, Greek life coordinator for SJSU, said Kappa Sigma on Eleventh Street was the only fraternity holding a registered party Friday night.
Representatives from the fraternities could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
San Jose police officer Gina Tepoorten did not know whether any of the suspects have been released on bail.
The incident comes 13 months after two SJSU fraternities were suspended indefinitely after organizing an off-campus brawl that resulted in the stabbing death of one SJSU student.
By all indications, Harper said, Saturday's assaults bear no resemblance to last year's tragic incident.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
anonymous852
anonymous852
posted 2/27/04 @ 5:59 AM EST
Wow. it's a small world. i graduated from high school with the suspects. they were pretty cool guys. i really never knew them to be violent, but then again you never really can trust anyone. (Continued…)
anonymous852
anonymous852
posted 2/28/04 @ 5:37 AM EST
Josh,
First and foremost my heart goes out to the stabbing victims and their families for this because when something like this happens, everyone suffers. (Continued…)
anonymous852
anonymous852
posted 3/08/04 @ 1:39 AM EST
Hi my name is Cindy, and Mario Gonzalez is a cousin of mine. I am writing in response to the "Mothers" response. I would like it if your son would be able to email or call me with the real story. (Continued…)
anonymous852
anonymous852
posted 4/14/04 @ 2:52 AM EST
Dear mother,
I am sure that your going through tough times with what your son did, but i was involved in the incident and he was not innocent. he and his friends started the fight, and others that night for no reason. (Continued…)
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