BARSTOW, Calif. (VVNG.com) — A 53-year-old Barstow man was arrested in Needles on suspicion of attempted murder following a stabbing that left a victim in critical condition, authorities said.
On Sunday, March 29, 2026, at approximately 9:35 p.m., the Barstow Police Department Dispatch Center received a report of an assault with a deadly weapon in the 2000 block of East Main Street. Officers responded and located an adult male suffering from a stab wound to his left torso.
Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, and due to the severity of the injury, the victim was airlifted to a trauma center in critical condition.
A Barstow Police detective conducted witness interviews, obtained video surveillance footage, and processed the scene as part of the investigation.
Through the course of the investigation, the suspect was identified as Charles Gonzales. A Ramey warrant was authored and issued for Gonzales for PC 664/187(a) – Attempted Murder. A records check also revealed Gonzales had an outstanding warrant for PC 3455 – Violation of Post-Release Community Supervision (PRCS).
On Monday, March 30, 2026, at approximately 9:24 a.m., deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, along with special agents from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Police Department, located and arrested Gonzales in Needles, California.
Gonzales was subsequently booked into the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto for attempted murder, as well as his outstanding warrant.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Detective Sergeant Matthew Helms at (760) 255-5131 or via email at mhelms@barstowca.org. Those wishing to remain anonymous may provide information by calling the WE-TIP hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27469).
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