Local News

CORAL GABLES (CBS4) ― Family and friends of 17-year-old Andy Rodriguez, the boy charged with stabbing a Coral Gables High School classmate to death on Tuesday, are defending the teen claiming he was defending himself.

Wednesday night, family members and friends gathered outside the Juvenile Detention Center in Miami, speaking with Rodriguez frantically on the phone. In Spanish, Rodriguez's grandmother, Elsa Alfonso told CBS 4 Reporter Natalia Zea, "We are destroyed! My grandson is a marvelous hard working boy."

Alfonso has shed plenty of tears for her grandson in the last two days. She and Rodriguez's mother appeared in court Wednesday, trying to bring Rodriguez home on house arrest. The judge refused, and Rodriguez was ordered to be held without bond. Rodriguez did not appear in court. His lawyer waived his right to appear. The judge also set the next hearing date on October 6th.

Rodriguez is charged with one count of second degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Juan Carlos Rivera. Prosecutors announced they would take the case to the grand jury, meaning a possible first-degree murder indictment in felony adult court.

Rodriguez's friends Rivera was a bully and Rodriguez was only defending himself. They say Rodriguez brought the knife to school because he was afraid of getting jumped.

But the arrest form states that both boys bumped each other between first and second period and began a fist fight. Police also say Rodriguez threw Rivera to the floor and then stabbed him multiple times.

Many students at Coral Gables Senior High say the murder began with a fight over a girl.


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Slideshow
Student Killed At Gables High


Data Links
Incident Reports for Coral Gables Senior High School (0-07 & 07-08)
Where Coral Gables H.S. Ranks In The County For Crimes


On Wednesday students returned to class at Coral Gables High, where grief counselors were available to talk with the students about Tuesday's stabbing death of their classmate.

Students who witnessed the stabbing say Rodriguez had been fighting with Rivera around 9:00 a.m. between first and second period. The verbal fight led to a pushing match, which escalated.

"One student pulled out a knife; I don't know whether it was a switchblade or a box cutter, and he stabbed the victim three times," said Felix Cedeno. "One wound was on the chest, another wound around the collar bone and one right behind the kidney."

Cedeno said what happened it didn't sink in right away.

"At first I thought they were just playing around," Cedeno told CBS4's Cynthia Demos during his appearance on CBS4 News This Morning on Wednesday. "But then I saw it was serious and it just happened quickly."

He said there were about 20 other students in the courtyard, each as stunned as he was. "They didn't realize what was going on until they saw Juan Carlos in pain. That's when he fell to the floor and they surrounded him and that's when I rushed in to help him; he was in pain, gasping for air."

Cedeno said he sent a text message to his father, who was in the grocery store at the time, which said 'a kid just got stabbed in front of me'.

Daniel Cedeno said when he got the message he feared for his son's safety; he was afraid the person with the knife would go after his son.

Felix Cedeno said Rodriguez, realizing the seriousness of his actions, hesitated a moment before running away. "He backed off, he looked at him with an angry face and then he ran off toward Riviera Drive."

According to a police, Rodriguez was taken into custody at 9:10 a.m., about three minutes after the first 911 call came in. The Coral Gables Police Department caught up to him about six blocks from the school. They found a knife on him and say blood was evident on his clothing.

In video shot by Chopper 4, Rivera's body lay covered by a white sheet in the school courtyard. It remained in the courtyard for more than five hours until investigators transferred it to a Medical Examiner's van, around the same time the final school bell rang at 2:30 p.m.

Concerned and anxious parents arrived at the school shortly after the violent incident. Miami-Dade schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho had this important message: "To the parents, I understand the tragedy, the hurt and anguish but we're urging you to remain calm in light of this terrible tragedy."

A parent pick-up area was set up by the baseball diamond on Rivera Drive. It was staffed with crisis intervention teams, according to Carvalho.

Miami-Dade police spokesperson Rebeca Perez said since both individuals are students, there was no security breach at the school. To maintain security, police locked down the school for most of the day.

Carvalho said if any parent has questions about the safety of the school or what precautions are being taken, they can call a special hotline at (305) 995-3000, where school officials will be able to answer their questions.

The Coral Gables Police Department has set up a fund to raise money for Rivera's funeral. Anyone who would like to make a donation can do so at:

Intercredit Bank
3730 NW 79th Avenue
Miami

Make check's payable to "Juan Carlos Rivera"
ABA # 067011812
Acct #500382606

For more information contact Katia Castellanos, the Victim's Advocate with Coral Gables Police Department, at (305) 733-0212.


CBS4's Lisa Cilli and Daniel Lastra contributed to this report


 

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