A suspect is in custody after a stabbing inside California’s largest corn maze left two young men hospitalized.
The attack unfolded around 9:15 p.m. Friday at Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon, where a 28-year-old man from Sacramento allegedly turned a disagreement into a brutal assault. The victims, a 19-year-old from Dixon and a 20-year-old from Vallejo, were both rushed to the hospital. Their conditions have not been disclosed.
Deputies faced a surreal challenge in securing the crime scene. “Clearing the corn maze at night was quite the challenge, but we did it — and we did recover some evidence,” a spokesperson for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office told the San Francisco Chronicle. Investigators found a weapon left behind in the sprawling field of stalks.
The Sheriff’s Office has characterized the violence as an isolated incident born from a dispute that spiraled out of control. “A disagreement that escalated far beyond what it should have,” is how the spokesperson described it to reporters.
Seth Cooley, son of founder Matt Cooley, moved quickly to reassure the public after the attack. “There was an altercation between some people yesterday in the corn maze. Police were called. They responded really fast. We’re a family-oriented pumpkin patch. Always have been,” he told KCRA.
The business itself echoed that message in a public announcement, stating that “there is no current public safety threat” and reaffirming that the maze remains “committed to providing a safe, family-friendly environment for everyone.”
Cool Patch Pumpkins did not let the violence disrupt its season. The attraction opened as scheduled on Saturday, welcoming visitors back to the same labyrinth where blood had spilled just hours before.
The maze stands as a genuine California landmark. Matt Cooley founded the operation in 2001 when his daughters began selling pumpkins on the side of the road. What started as a modest family venture exploded into a destination that twice earned Guinness World Records recognition, in 2007 and again in 2014, when the corn maze ballooned to 63 acres. The attraction has since trimmed down to roughly 40 acres, still vast enough to disorient visitors and, as deputies discovered, complicate emergency responses after dark.
The suspect’s booking details and any charges he faces have not been released. The Solano County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation.