1 dead, 2 hospitalized in samurai-style sword attack in greater Los Angeles

Los Angeles police are investigating the spark of a samurai sword fight that left one woman dead and two hospitalized.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s officers were called to a residential street in San Dimas on Thursday afternoon, where they were flagged down by a bleeding woman with cuts on her right leg and hands holding a samurai sword, KTLA reported.

The woman appeared to want to show the police officers the sword, but upon instruction from the officers present on the scene, she put down the weapon and raised her hands.

Lt. Daniel Vizcarra told reporters that the woman led them to a nearby house, where police found another woman with bloody cuts who was pronounced dead at the scene.

A third woman was found in the home and taken to the hospital for what police said was a “medical emergency.” KTLA reported that it was a heart attack and that she was unharmed in the apparent argument.

Police efforts to determine the cause of the fatal attack were delayed because the women only speak Mandarin.

“The preliminary investigation suggests that there may be a family connection, but again we could not confirm that due to the language barrier,” said Lt. Vizcarra.

Interpreters were sent to both the house and the hospital, police said.