Three charged with attempted murder after brutal machete attack in San Jose

Three men were arrested last week on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with a brutal machete attack in east San Jose in June.

According to San Jose police, the victim was attacked in a parking lot outside a business in the 2600 block of Alum Rock Avenue on the evening of June 27. He suffered numerous injuries and was hospitalized for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

“These suspects were seeking their victim and knew they wanted to take a life,” Acting Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement. “Violent criminals have no place in our community and I am grateful that our detectives acted quickly to put these suspects behind bars.”

A preliminary investigation revealed that the victim had gotten into an altercation with the three suspects earlier in the day. Police said the suspects later searched for the victim and attacked him with machetes when they found him.

Stacie Shih, spokeswoman for the SJPD, said the altercation also took place in East San Jose. The victim and suspect did not know each other.

The attack was recorded on video. Investigators were able to identify three suspects and obtained arrest and search warrants.

Shih said the video was very graphic and “actually played a key role in identifying the three suspects.”

On September 10, police arrested 41-year-old Eddie Herena of Martinez and 43-year-old Juan Ramirez of San Jose. The next day, police arrested a third suspect, identified as 43-year-old Raul Moreno of San Jose.

“The fact is that they chose violence and had one goal in mind, which was to seek out this victim and cause a lot of damage and possibly commit murder,” Shih said at a press conference on Wednesday.

According to police, Herena was convicted of a 2005 murder in San Jose and released from prison in 2018.

The agency confirmed Herena was the same person interviewed by CBS News Bay Area in Mayin which he said that he completely turned his life around after discovering his passion for photography in San Quentin prison.

In an interview with him, he described how he came to terms with the crimes he had committed.

“I just have to look back on my life and think about the things I've done in the past, and I've done a lot of ugly things,” Herena said.

John Halushka, a law professor at San Jose State University, said the fact that Herena committed another extremely violent crime after his release from prison is actually statistically very unusual.

“A case of this kind is quite rare in terms of its high-profile violence, especially for a man of his age,” Halushka said.

Halushka said that as people get older, they typically become less likely to resort to violence, even if they have a criminal record.

“What we're seeing in this case is really an outlier and I think we should keep that in mind and consider the larger context of people coming out of prison,” Halushka said.

Herena and the other two suspects in the case remain behind bars. All three have been charged with attempted murder.

“I want to thank our police officers who risk their lives every day to keep our city safe,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “Whether they are facing a gun, a machete or any other threat, the men and women of our police force are brave in the fight to protect San Jose.”

Shih said there was no evidence that the incident was a hate crime or related to gang violence.

Jail records show Herena, Ramirez and Moreno are being held without bail and their next court date is scheduled for Sept. 24.

Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to contact Detective Madera of the department's Assault Unit via email or by phone at 408-277-4161.