The suspect in the stabbing of a Hollister resident turned
himself in to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday
afternoon and was booked for attempted murder.
The suspect in the stabbing of a Hollister resident turned himself in to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday afternoon and was booked for attempted murder.
San Jose resident Danny Peliaz, 46, who allegedly stabbed Hollister resident George Costa three times on Monday morning, once in the back and twice in his legs, was arrested at the sheriff’s department around 2:30 p.m., said Detective Chris Green.
“He was on parole and probation for multiple things, the most recent for driving under the influence,” Green said. “I believe he found out we were looking for him so he contacted his parole officer… and agreed to come in.”
Peliaz, who was booked with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, did not confess to the stabbing. He provided deputies with a statement asserting he did not commit the crime but that he was a victim, Green said.
“One party says it went one way and the other says it went the other – it has to do with who’s the aggressor,” he said. “We have a victim with stab wounds and a slash to the back, so it was good enough to arrest him.”
Peliaz had been staying at the rear of Costa’s property over the July Fourth weekend, and the two men got into an altercation concerning when Peliaz would leave the residence, according to Hollister police.
After the incident occurred, Costa was treated at Hazel Hawkins Hospital and released, and received further care at a hospital in Gilroy, Green said.
The knife used in the stabbing hasn’t been located, but deputies believe it could be a buck knife, Green said.
“But because it wasn’t recovered we can’t confirm that,” he said.
Now that Peliaz has been booked with the crime, the case will be forwarded to the San Benito County District Attorney’s Office for charging. Costa will not have to identify Peliaz as his assailant, Green said.
“We would if it was a person who had walked off the street, but we know who the suspect is and the stories corroborate,” he said. “They both have them being at the same place at the same time, except there’s different accounts.”
Peliaz is incarcerated in the San Benito County Jail in lieu of $500,000 for attempted murder and $20,000 for assault with a deadly weapon.
