Six men arraigned in fatal stabbing at downtown Davis bar

The six men indicted on murder charges in the September stabbing death of a Los Angeles-area college student at a downtown Davis bar were arraigned Monday in Yolo Superior Court.

Victor Vergara, Carlos Biviescas, Martyn Contreras, Anthony Rivera, Zackary Sandeno and Joseph Sandeno, all of Vacaville, return to court June 27 charged in the fatal stabbing of Peter Alexander Gonzales on Sept. 19, 2015, at KetMoRee on G Street in Davis. Gonzales, 23, of Hacienda Heights, was a student at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in Carson who worked with children with special needs.

Yolo County district attorney’s prosecutors allege Vergara used the knife that killed Gonzales, but said the office will not pursue the death penalty against him.

Prosecutors allege the assailants all had gang ties. The Yolo County grand jury, in its May 2 indictment, accused the group of killing Gonzales in service to a criminal street gang and alleged Vergara was an active gang member at the time of the attack. The men also face allegations of assault causing great bodily injury, assault while in service to a gang, and participating in gang activity.

Gonzales’ violent death amid a growing number of violent incidents and alcohol-related trouble in recent years in Davis led the City Council to halt new bar and nightclub construction as they considered ways to make downtown Davis safer.

Davis lifted the ban in April, but establishments soon must apply for entertainment permits.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Six men arraigned in fatal stabbing at downtown Davis bar."