The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office today announced the arrest of a Fresno man in connection with the weekend stabbing death of nineteen year old Desmond Rios. Arrested this afternoon was twenty one year old Anthony Lopez.

Early this past Sunday morning, deputies responded to the stabbing call at a residence located near the intersection of Central & Fowler. When they arrived on scene, they detained several subjects.

Deputies learned the party was a birthday party for an eighteen year old female who did not live at the residence. Information on the party was put out on social media and an estimated sixty to two hundred people attended.

At some point during the party, several subjects became involved in a physical disturbance during which time Rios and another subject were stabbed.

Rios, who was stabbed multiple times, was transported by a friend to Community Regional Medical Center where he later died as a result of his injuries.

Friends also started transporting the second stabbing victim to CRMC. When they got to Freeway 180 & Peach, they contacted a CHP officer who was on a vehicle stop and advised their friend had been stabbed. EMS responded and transported the victim to the hospital. He was treated and later released.

The following day, detectives discovered a third stabbing victim who did not seek medical attention.

This afternoon, detectives arrested Lopez a short distance from his home in southeast Fresno. He will be booked into the Fresno County Jail on murder charges.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Jeff Stricker at 600-281-9412, the Sheriff’s Office at 600-3111, or CrimeStoppers at 498-STOP(7867).