San Rafael fatal stabbing stemmed from dispute between co-workers, police say

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A fatal stabbing in San Rafael on Monday stemmed from an ongoing dispute between two co-workers that escalated into a physical confrontation, police said on Tuesday.

Just after 1 p.m. on Monday, police dispatchers received an emergency call about a person who had fallen and was being given first aid outside the Northgate Medical Dental Center at 750 Las Gallinas Avenue and Northgate Drive in San Rafael’s Terra Linda district. The San Rafael Police Department said officers arrived to find the victim had been stabbed, and he was taken to a hospital where he died of his injuries.

Police said Monday that a person had been detained, and investigators were still sorting out what happened. On Tuesday, the department issued an update, saying that based on the victim’s clothing, investigators determined that he was an employee of a business in the adjacent Northgate One Shopping Center, and that the stabbing followed a fight between the victim and a co-worker.    

The man arrested was identified as 20-year-old Richmond resident Justin Amilcar Gutierrez-Navarette. Police said that shortly after the investigation began, Gutierrez-Navarette contacted the department to arrange his surrender, and he cooperated with detectives during the interview process, police said. 

Gutierrez-Navarette and the victim had been involved in an ongoing dispute that turned into a fight on Monday, during which Gutierrez-Navarette stabbed the victim, according to investigators. After being stabbed, the victim fled out of the rear entrance of the business before collapsing outside the medical office building on Las Gallinas Avenue.

Gutierrez-Navarette was booked into the Marin County Jail on a charge of murder, and police said there were no other outstanding suspects. The victim’s identity was withheld until his family was notified. 

Anyone with information about this crime was asked to call the San Rafael Police Department at 415-485-3000 or visit https://www.srpd.org/tips.