An early morning disturbance on Thursday, Jan. 15 in Escalon left one man with stab wounds and one man being sought in connection with the case.

“On the morning of January 15, at 4:17 a.m. we responded to a 911 call of an injured subject, who turned out to have been stabbed at a fight that took place in the 1200 block of Ullrey,” said Escalon Police Chief Mike Borges. “The victim, a 45-year-old male from Ripon, was stabbed during a fight involving him and six other subjects. He drove himself to the parking lot of the police department, where he was assisted by police, paramedic and fire personnel who began rendering aid.”

Authorities said the victim was then transported to a local hospital and was reported in stable condition, with what appears to be a punctured lung.

“A person of interest in this case has been identified as Benjamin Marquez, 33, from Escalon,” added Borges.

As a result of the incident, Marquez is being sought for the assault with a deadly weapon and is now also wanted on a parole violation warrant. Anyone that sees him or knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact police at 838-7093.

“The victim was stabbed after a fight broke out between two females at the location in the 1200 block of Ullrey and the males present began trying to separate the combatants, during which the victim was stabbed,” Borges said.

At least three other subjects who fled the scene are still being sought for questioning in the case.