Sacramento County Code Inspector Stabbed To Death
- Code Enforcement Officer Safety Foundation
- Jan 21, 2021
- 2 min read
2021 - A county code inspector was stabbed to death during an attack last week.
January 21, 2021
SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) — The acting Sacramento County executive confirms a county code inspector was stabbed to death during an attack last week.
Witnesses said the suspect was an employee at a restaurant the inspector had visited just minutes before the attack.
Police said the attack happened in broad daylight last Thursday (1/14) in the parking lot of a shopping center off Fulton Avenue.
Witnesses told CBS13 the code inspector, who's been identified as Dennis Catanyag, was sitting in his car. The attacker got to him by opening the passenger door and forcing his way inside.
Deputies arrested 38-year-old Mohammad Anwaribrah Musallam. He's accused of attacking two people with a knife.
Witnesses said Musallam works at a restaurant that had just received a passing inspection from Catanyag. CBS13 talked to the owner there who wasn't ready to do an interview but said as he tried to stop Mussallam and was stabbed himself.
Neighboring businesses locked their doors for safety and said it seemed like Mussallam had snapped for no reason.
The man with the knife, identified as Mohammed Anwaribrah Musallam, 38, is accused of attacking two men in the parking lot outside the restaurants. One of the victims, who was stabbed several times, was expected to survive, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office previously reported.
The second victim, identified as Catanyag, tried to get away and stumbled into the nearby busy street. His assailant ultimately caught up with him, stabbing him again. Catanyag was pronounced dead at an area hospital, the sheriff's office said.
“The death of Dennis is an extraordinary loss to his family, the county and the community. Our hearts go out to his friends and family as they cope with this incomprehensible tragedy," acting County Executive Ann Edwards said in a prepared statement. "I would like to thank Sacramento County Sheriff chaplains, who were on hand to support Environmental Management Department employees while they came to terms with the heartbreaking loss of their friend and colleague."
"He was a model employee who was dedicated to his family and his job. He had a passion for public service and the health and safety of people in the community. He was very well liked by his colleagues, who enjoyed his lively personality and respected his professional integrity," Edwards' letter reads in part.
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