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Two Dead After PG Bar Brawl
posted (March 14, 2019)
A teen's murder in Punta Gorda adds to the list of recent violent crimes in that southern town. 18 year old Luis Cabrera Jr. was stabbed at a bar near his home yesterday evening around 6:00. Courtney Weatherburne traveled to PG to find out how a simple bar squabble led to murder and also, how an inexplicable turn of events led to the alleged killer being hospitalized. Here is that story.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
This new sail boat hasn't even touched Punta Gorda waters and it probably won't anytime soon. It was for Luis Cabrera Jr, his father recently bought it for him as a gift.

But this young fisherman will never get to test it out on the sea. Cabrera was stabbed to death at this bar a couple blocks from his Indianville home. Yesterday evening Cabrera had gone to secure the paperwork for his new boat and on his way home he stopped in at the bar to celebrate.

Edwin Cabrera, Brother
"He went to get the port authority documents, he had the port authority documents in his hand."

"I mean he has the documents for a boat, being 18 years old and having access to a boat or gifted a boat at that age, definitely it is worth a beer."

But that stop for a celebratory swig escalated into a deadly attack. According to reports,

Alexander Ruiz and William Garcia were already at the bar when Cabrera showed up. Apparently, the men had been drinking from the day before. It seems the men were trying to get cozy with the Bar girl who is Cabrera's cousin's girlfriend. Information suggests that Ruiz may have gotten jealous when the girl spoke to Cabrera.

Edwin Cabrera, Brother
"The young lady who works behind the bar counter, she knows him because there is some sort of relationship between one of my brother's family so apparently there was a miscommunication from the beginning."

"From what I gathered, from when they reach the young lady she tried to chase the guy away and then apparently that was something that upset him from then it went on to my brother, he wanted to change the type of music that was playing. She was welcoming, she actually gave my brother her phone because it was on bluetooth so she gave him her phone and he changed the type of music and from then it went on to some brief misunderstanding and exchange of words and unfortunately it happened I mean."

Ruiz then allegedly stabbed Cabrera with a broken pint bottle. A neighbor described what happened next.

Marcus Tracey, Neighbor
"I hear the bartender say Aye they stab this bally in blood, Wow, he is in blood so the same time they stab him in blood now the person that stabbed him went on the motorcycle, the two person they went."

The men did get quite a distance but their escape plan back-fired and they crashed into a lamppost, 14 miles away at the 'Dump' junction. The passenger, William Garcia died from the impact

While Alexander Ruiz, the alleged murderer is hospitalized under police guard at Southern Regional. So while that accident unfolded,

Cabrera was in the front seat of this taxi bleeding out and fighting to stay alive. Taxi driver Theresita Garcia said she came to pick up someone else from the bar and had no idea what she was walking into.

Theresita Garcia, Taxi driver
"I turn back and it is best I come out of the place then at the same time things was happening inside at the same time as I am turning back now, I see the young man running and he just open my vehicle, jump in my vehicle and I say Oh no! when I see the blood I say oh no not my vehicle and I could not help it and the person say please lets go take him to hospital, so I just get in my vehicle and took him."

Cabrera was alive on the way to the hospital but died later on. It was a senseless end for this teen and an unforeseen twist of events that Cabrera's family can only describe as.

Edwin Cabrera, Brother
"It is just Karma,"

Karma. But still, karma doesn't take away the anguish of losing a loved one.

Edwin Cabrera, Brother
"He was very cool, I mean at his age, young, 18, you know wanting to go out and explore. I mean it is sad that it was so quick and tragic."

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