Porterville Police responded to a call regarding two men fighting in an open field near Hockett St. and Locust Ave. just after 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening. When the police arrived, they found 45-year-old Jose De Leon Rodriguez suffering from multiple stab wounds to his upper body and head.
Rodriguez was transported to Sierra View District Hospital were he died from his injuries.
During the investigation, Porterville Police identified 36-year-old Johnny Hernandez of Porterville as a suspect. Police say after they unsuccessfully attempted to contact Hernandez, they called in a SWAT team to evacuate the area surrounding his apartment and make further attempts to contact him.
Just after 3 a.m. Sunday morning, Hernandez surrendered to officers and was arrested without incident.
According to police, Hernandez was transported to Sierra View District Hospital in Porterville where he was treated for minor injuries he received during the fight. He was then booked into Tulare County Jail on homicide charges where he was being held without bail.
Detective say it's unclear why Rodriguez and Hernandez were fighting.
