A man hospitalized after a violent stabbing in El Sereno is speaking out, recalling the most terrifying night of his life.
The suspect, David Anthony Zapata, 32, is accused of a double stabbing on March 3 that left Xavier Daniel Chavarin, 17, a high school honors student dead and another victim, Daniel Villalobos, 32, severely injured.
Villalobos, a husband and father to three young children, said he was stabbed six times by the suspect while standing at a parking lot on the 5400 block of Valley Boulevard around 9 p.m.
The stabbings began when the first victim, Chavarin, was waiting for his mother to pick him up on the 4500 block of Valley Boulevard around 3:55 p.m. Zapata allegedly approached him from behind and stabbed him repeatedly before fleeing.
A few hours later, Zapata is accused of violently attacking Villalobos as he was leaving from work, police said. Zapata was arrested days later after barricading himself inside his Alhambra home.
Los Angeles police say the stabbings were completely random and unprovoked.
Villalobos is still recovering from the attack. He recounts the terrifying encounter as he fought for his life.
“Everything was like a nightmare,” recalled Villalobos. “Everything happened so fast. I started fighting for my life. I was just trying to keep the blood in my body. I was losing a lot of blood.”
Daniel Villalobos, 32, recovering after surviving a stabbing attack in El Sereno on March 3, 2023. (Villalobos Family) 
Daniel Villalobos, 32, recovering after surviving a stabbing attack in El Sereno on March 3, 2023. (GoFundMe) 
Daniel Villalobos, 32, recovering after surviving a stabbing attack in El Sereno on March 3, 2023. (KTLA) 
Xavier Chavarin in a family photo. 
Surveillance video shows the man accused of stabbing Xavier Daniel Chavarin, 17. March 2023. (LAPD) 
The man suspected of fatally stabbing Xavier Daniel Chavarin, 17, was arrested following a standoff in Alhambra on March 8, 2023 (KTLA) 
The man suspected of fatally stabbing Xavier Daniel Chavarin, 17, was arrested following a standoff in Alhambra on March 8, 2023 (KTLA) 
Loved ones mourn Xavier Chavarin in an El Sereno memorial on March 7, 2023. (KTLA) 
Loved ones mourn Xavier Chavarin in an El Sereno memorial on March 7, 2023. (KTLA) 
Loved ones mourn Xavier Chavarin in an El Sereno memorial on March 7, 2023. (KTLA) 
Loved ones mourn Xavier Chavarin in an El Sereno memorial on March 7, 2023. (KTLA) 
Loved ones mourn Xavier Chavarin in an El Sereno memorial on March 7, 2023. (KTLA)
Villalobos says he’s lucky to be alive, but he has a long road to recovery ahead of him.
“It’s a miracle that I’m here,” he said. “I’m just taking it day by day.”
He said the most painful wounds are the ones in his abdomen and shoulder areas. He said he still experiences trouble with everyday movement and intense pain.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the Villalobos family with hospital bills.
The case remains under investigation as police believe a second suspect who acted as a getaway driver may be involved. Zapata is scheduled for a court hearing in April.
