Cellphone recording may have sparked fatal stabbing outside San Jose bar, court docs say
2 San Jose women arrested for stabbing death of 22-year-old man
San Jose police investigators on Wednesday said they arrested two woman for the murder of Raymond Orozco. The victim's parents said they're glad that suspects have been brought to justice but heartbroken over their loss.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The fatal stabbing of a 22-year-old man outside a San Jose bar last month may have stemmed from the victim and his friend recording a dispute on their cellphones, according to court documents.
Video recording might have bothered suspects
Dig deeper:
Raymond Manuel Orozco and his friends were in the area of 2nd Street and Fernando Avenue on July 20, authorities said. Around 12:51 a.m., the group saw an altercation outside Loft Bar and Bistro. Orozco and one of his friends began recording, according to a statement of facts submitted to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
"The cell phone recording began to agitate some people in the suspect group," Detective Michael Harrington wrote.
Victim was breaking up fight
What we know:
A woman involved in the dispute then confronted one of Orozco’s female friends, leading to a fight between women from both groups. Orozco’s family said one of the women in his group was being beaten, and he stepped in to break it up.
Authorities back up that account, saying Orozco was seen on video pulling people apart to stop the fight. In the process, Orozco punched 20-year-old Mercedes Bette Rosales, who was part of the opposing group, according to police.
Rosales then walked away to meet her friend, 18-year-old Micaela Van, who pulled a knife from her shoe and handed it to Rosales, investigators said.
Orozco was still attempting to break up the fight when Rosales allegedly stabbed him in the torso before walking away. Realizing he had been wounded, Orozco clutched the lower right side of his abdomen.
He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.
Family says man fatally stabbed in San Jose was trying to protect friend
The family of a 22-year-old East Bay man says he was fatally stabbed in downtown San Jose early Sunday while trying to protect a friend who was being attacked.
Before his death, he told officers he had been stabbed by a woman.
Rosales fled the scene with Van in her father’s white Toyota sedan, police said.
Both women were arrested Tuesday.
Rosales is charged with murder, while Van is charged with being an accessory to murder.
Rosales was arraigned Thursday and remains in jail without bail. Van’s arraignment is scheduled for Monday.
Investigators said Rosales was out on supervised release at the time of the killing.
Authorities also said both suspects have ties to street gangs, but did not say whether they are members, nor did they identify the gangs.
The Source: Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office