Police arrest man accused of mass stabbing in Guam

A man accused of killing two Japanese visitors and injuring a dozen others after crashing his car and stabbing people in a major tourist district in Guam has been arrested and faces multiple charges, police said Wednesday.

Chad Ryan Desoto, 21, of Tamuning is accused of driving a Toyota Yaris onto a sidewalk and striking seven tourists Tuesday night at an upscale shopping area fronting the Outrigger Guam Resort in Tumon Bay, Guam police spokesman A.J. Balajadia said. Desoto continued driving on the sidewalk, crashing into the wall of a convenience store. He then left his car and started stabbing people, police said.

Desoto is charged with two counts of murder, 13 counts of attempted murder and 13 counts of aggravated assault, Balajadia said. No motive or other details on the investigation were released.

A Japanese Foreign Ministry official, who requested anonymity per ministry rules, said Wednesday that local police told the Japanese consulate 14 Japanese people were taken to the hospital, and two had died.

An official with Japanese travel operator H.I.S. Co. said eight of its customers were injured in the attack — including some with broken bones — but none were killed.

The wreck and alleged knife attack among high-end boutiques and hotels in Tumon Bay's Pleasure Island district sent frightened hotel guests and others fleeing for safety.

A woman at a nearby café with friends told the Pacific Daily News she saw the car plow through the driveway and into a convenience store at the resort. Ashley Quichocho, 18, of Dededo said the driver got out, ran up to bystanders and began stabbing them.

"He started stabbing someone, and I started freaking out," Quichocho said. "He was just running back and forth stabbing people."

Quichocho said she ran to the second floor of the hotel with other guests to escape.

Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo issued a statement addressed to "the people of Japan" saying the perpetrator would be prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law." Calvo said he is committed to ensuring the safety of visitors to Guam and would increase the police presence in the visitor district.

"This was an isolated incident — something that just doesn't happen in our community," Calvo said. "We are shocked, we are grieving with the families, and we extend our deepest condolences to those hurt."

Guam is a U.S. territory about 1,500 miles south of Tokyo and 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.