Man Stabbed to Death in Placentia

A young man was fatally stabbed and his shoes stolen Thursday night in Placentia by two men who escaped on bicycles, authorities said.

Police said Jaime Alfonso Morales, about 20 years old, was approached by two young men at about 10 p.m. as he walked along Melody Lane with his 14-year-old girlfriend.

The two began to argue with Morales, and one of them stabbed him, police said. The attackers then fled on bicycles, said Det. Corinne Loomis, a spokeswoman for the Placentia Police Department. Morales and his friend were able to walk to his home one block away, where they called paramedics, but Morales was dead by the time help arrived.

Investigators have not established a motive for the attack nor found the weapon used, Loomis said. “We do not know if this was a gang-related activity,” she said.

Police are searching for two men between 16 and 20 years old, she said.

Loomis confirmed reports from witnesses that Morales’ sneakers had been stolen but said it was not clear whether that was a motive for the attack. She said the shoes were not of great value.