A new year in crime kicked off with a knife attack and some robberies in the Santa Clarita Valley, authorities said Monday.

A man allegedly pulled a knife on a man who owed him money in Castaic just hours after the ball dropped. A group of men reportedly surrounded a woman in Canyon Country on Saturday morning and grabbed her cigarettes.

And a man was attacked when he confronted a group of men who allegedly stole his bike, deputies at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station said.

Debt argument turns violent
About 4 a.m. on New Year's Day, deputies arrested a 20-year-old Valencia man after he allegedly pulled a knife on a man who was collecting a debt from him, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Brenda Cambra.

The suspect had gone to the Rodeway Inn in Castaic to pay $100 he owed to a Chatsworth man staying at the hotel, Cambra said.

After the suspect repaid the money, the two started arguing and the suspect allegedly pulled out a pocket knife, Cambra said.

The Chatsworth man reportedly grabbed the knife, cutting his hand, and slammed the door. The suspect then allegedly yelled that he was going to get a gun and left, Cambra said.

Deputies arrested the suspect about four hours later in Valencia on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after he reported a separate incident to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. The deputies recognized him as the suspect from the first incident, Cambra said.

Men reportedly grab cigarettes
About 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, five men surrounded a 38-year-old woman in front of her Canyon Country apartment, demanded she give up her cigarettes and then grabbed them, Cambra said.

The deputy later spotted five men who matched the woman's description - and they were smoking.

The suspects, who ranged in age from 21 to 28, were arrested on suspicion of robbery, Cambra said.

Theft victim turns robbery victim
Later that day, a man was allegedly robbed in Newhall by suspects who had his bicycle, which was stolen about two hours earlier, Cambra said.

The alleged robbery occurred at about 7:45 p.m. near the intersection of Valle Del Oro and Costa Brava. The 25-year-old man reportedly spotted three other men with his bicycle and confronted them, Cambra said.

The suspects punched him in the face and stole two bags of fruit he had just bought, Cambra said.

Deputies arrested the two suspects who allegedly stole the fruit, but they could not find the third suspect, who rode away on the bicycle, Cambra said.

The bicycle was later recovered.