Court appearances continue for man tied to stabbing

WILLMAR - Court proceedings continue for Israel Salinas Cruz, one of the men accused of stabbing a man in the chest and arms in April at a Willmar residence. Cruz, 31, of Willmar, faces a charge of second-degree assault and appeared Monday for an omnibus hearing. He is scheduled for a hearing March 16 and a court trial March 26.
The other man tied to the case, Cesar Arce, 42, of Willmar, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison in December after being convicted of second-degree assault.
According to the criminal complaints against the men, witnesses told police that both men had stabbed the victim in the arms and in the ribs after a dispute at a Willmar residence.
The victim told officers that both Arce and Salinas Cruz were involved in the fight.
He said both men had approached his vehicle and stabbed him in the chest and arm. He had suffered internal bleeding from a puncture wound to the chest and had two wounds to his arms.