Police continue investigation

Authorities have yet to make an arrest regarding the fatal stabbing of a man in the parking lot of the 7 Mares Restaurant in San Fernando on Oct. 6.

"There hasn't been any arrest as of yet. I know they're doing a great job investigating and working with a lot of agencies," said Councilmember Sylvia Ballin, who happened by the area while investigators examined the crime scene.

"I know it's the restaurant across from the VFW because my husband and I were coming from there, and we saw everything taped off," Ballin said.

Authorities identified the victim as Diego Martinez, 27, saying Martinez was stabbed with a knife during an argument with another man in the rear parking lot of the restaurant, located in the 1100 block of First Street. The incident happened at approximately 2:20 a.m. on Oct. 6.

Martinez was taken to a hospital, where he later died. The suspect, described only as a male adult, fled the scene, authorities said.

San Fernando police and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detectives are investigating the incident.

San Fernando Police Officers Association President Irwin Rosenberg brought up the murder at this week's city council meeting as he pleaded with the council to hold off on proposed layoffs, including that of civil employees of the San Fernando Police Department.

"We stand united with the members of our [police department] personnel who are not sworn, and they're being asked to do a lot and they provide a lot of support to us the sworn officers.

What they don't do, we have to do," Rosenberg said. "So we ask you to please hold off and hopefully allow people with an unbiased look at this to go forward and make decisions."

Rosenberg also noted that "our organization is being very lean," and officers are being asked to do a lot more."

"I think there's no surprise that this last weekend, or two weekends ago, we had a very unfortunate incident where there was a murder, our first in six years, that taxed our resources, resources where we are down to 28 officers. We also had a bank robbery.

"And yet, a couple of days later I hear from members of the department that our members are being called corrupt by at least one of the members of this council just a couple of days later at a Mall Association meeting.

"We're out there working hard, putting our lives on the line to get our job done," Rosenberg said.

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