Top stories of the week: A stabbing death, big time election wins and a four-hour standoff

We take a look at some of the biggest stories of the week. This
week: A bar fight that led to the stabbing death of a man in
downtown Hollister, a set of clear wins in local elections and a
four-hour standoff between sheriff’s deputies and a man who two
days earlier alleged shot his mother three times.
1. Bar fight leads to homicide

A bar fight turned gruesome Saturday night when an argument at Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant and Bar led to the street, where a man was stabbed and died nearby.

According to witnesses, 35-year-old Rene Ortega was stabbed to death in the 400 block of East Street after the argument inside Pancho’s. The confrontation continued out onto the street, where the victim was stabbed on the corner of East and Fourth streets.

the victim’s last minutes of life.

b2. Resounding victories mark election/b

Two incumbent supervisors and a longtime school trustee swept through their respective county board races Tuesday, ending a campaign cycle in which most candidates focused sharply on economic development while voters turned out in low numbers in the absence of a presidential primary.

Perhaps the most impressive performance of the night – at least in numbers – came from District 1 Supervisor-elect Margie Barrios. In unofficially succeeding Supervisor Don Marcus, she captured 54.6 percent of votes against two other candidates and will forego a runoff on her way to an early victory because she gained more than the majority needed.

a href=”http://hollisterfreelance.com/news/244695-resounding-victories-mark-election”target=blank”>Read this full story.

3. Police end four-hour standoff with man suspected of shooting mom

After a four-hour standoff today, police arrested 40-year-old Ruben A. Garcia, who had locked himself inside his 1520 Brighton Ave. home after prosecutors charged him with attempted murder on suspicion of shooting his mother Sunday three times with a handgun.

Garcia had fled the scene of the shooting, and authorities had been searching for him when a neighbor phoned police today around 8:55 a.m. saying he had seen Garcia go into the home, said Officer Rosie Betanio, Hollister police spokeswoman.

From outside Garcia’s house, Detective Jeff Caires used a loudspeaker to ask the suspect to “come out with your hands up.” At 12:56 p.m., two officers escorted a handcuffed Garcia from the house to a waiting police car.