Employee at Kmart store in Visalia stabbed multiple times

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- A K-Mart store employee is in the hospital and a police officer is recovering after a stabbing in Visalia.

Police arrested Jeremy Kechloian for the crime. It happened just after 5:30 Wednesday at the K-Mart on west Noble and County Center Drive.

Police said a male employee was stabbed several times by Kechloian-- who police said was acting erratically. Officials are not telling us what led up to the attack, but they did say that because of where it happened they had to close down the store.

Sgt. Gerrit De Jong with the Visalia Police Department said, "The location where the incident took place was right near the entry exit point, so we felt that, to best assist us with investigation, it was better to close the store."

The worker was rushed by ambulance to Kaweah Delta Medical Center. He is expected to be okay.

Police said Kechloian took off running after stabbing the employee. He also assaulted an officer who suffered a minor injury.

Kechloian was caught in the parking lot and arrested. He was booked into the Tulare County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a peace officer.