EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) — The El Cajon police department is searching for a man they believe attacked an elderly man at an MTS trolley in El Cajon.
According to police, 71-year-old Jose Serra was assaulted on November 3 when he got off the trolley at Arnele Avenue around 5 a.m. Serra was stabbed twice in the stomach area, severely slashed across his face, and his ear was nearly severed off.
The victim is recovering from wounds and now faces a long road to recovery. The attack was entirely random and unprovoked, ECPD said.
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Investigators recovered surveillance video capturing the vicious attack and released an image of the suspect, 24-year-old Israel Ezekiel Valdivia, on Thursday.
He is described as a Hispanic male 5’11” with black hair and brown eyes and weighs about 180 pounds. Valdivia has numerous tattoos on his body and a large “V” tattoo on his face.
According to police, Valdivia has an extensive violent criminal history, including arrests and/or convictions for elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, and more. Valdivia was sentenced to a year in custody in January 2021, but was released in June 2021, approximately 7 months early.
Valdivia is considered armed and dangerous. The department said if you see the suspect, call the police immediately.
Police are also urging the community to call with any information about the incident at 619-579-3311.
A Gofundme campaign has been set up to help Serra with expenses as he recovers from his injuries.
