Aug 05, 2024

Police ID victim in deadly SW Kansas party stabbing

Posted Aug 05, 2024 9:30 AM
Sandoval photo Finney County
Sandoval photo Finney County

FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a deadly stabbing at a party in Garden City and have made two arrests. 

Just before 3a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to report of a stabbing in the 2600 block of Chainey Street in Garden City, according to a media release.

First responders found three people had been stabbed. The victims were transported to St. Catherine Hospital.  One of the victims, identified as Xavier Castaneda, 20, later died.

Through a collaborative investigation by the GCPD and Finney County Sheriff’s Office, it was revealed that a fight broke out during a party and  20-year-old Fernando Sandoval stabbed the three victims.

Sandoval and 21-year-old Ximena Sanchez-Espinoza fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.

Sandoval and Sanchez-Espinoza were later located in Hugoton and taken into custody, with the assistance of the Hugoton Police Department and Dodge City Police Department.

Sandoval is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Murder in the Second Degree, multiple counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, and multiple counts of Aggravated Battery.

Sanchez-Espinoza is being held in the Finney County jail on a requested charge of Obstruction.