Victims identified in July 4 Huntington Beach stabbing; charges filed against suspect

Beach chairs and a cooler rest at the corner of 16th St. and Pecan where the HBPD is investigating a stabbing attack that killed two people and injured three others that occurred at a multifamily residential complex at the corner in Huntington Beach.
Beach chairs and a cooler rest at the corner of 16th Steet and Pecan Avenue, where two people were killed and three others injured in what was reported to be a stabbing in Huntington Beach on the night of July 4. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

Orange County prosecutors have filed murder charges against a man accused of stabbing five people in Huntington Beach on the Fourth of July, killing two of them.

Court records indicate that, Logan Christopher Kelley, 26, of Huntington Beach was charged Monday with two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm and one count of battery on police or emergency personnel.

Kelley was arrested following an incident near 16th Street and Pecan Avenue about 11:15 p.m. on July 4. Police were called to a multifamily residential complex where officers found several victims. Three were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries but two were pronounced dead at the scene.

Read more: Suspect named in Fourth of July stabbing that left 2 dead near Huntington Beach home

The Orange County Sheriff's Office identified the victims as William Thomas Collins, 47, and Eric Clayton Hodges, 42, both from Huntington Beach.

Police declined to provide any additional information as detectives continue to investigate the case.

If convicted, Kelley faces possible sentencing enhancements for personally using a deadly weapon, attempted premeditated murder and special circumstances for having more than one murder conviction in the first or second degree.

Nguyen writes for Times Community News.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.