HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Five people have been indicted in the machete murder of a 17-year-old and could now face the death penalty.
The body of Jose Santos Amaya Guardado, who was hacked to death with a machete, was found partially buried in a wooded area behind Homestead Job Corps in Homestead.
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Desiray Strickland, 18, Kareem Arbelo, 20, Jonathan Lucas, 18, Christian Colon, 19, and Joseph Michael Cabrera, who are all former students of the vocational school, were charged with first-degree murder, according to the Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney.
The group is accused of plotting to kill Guardado for weeks before executing the plan on June 28.
A motive for the attack remains unclear, but a police source said the victim had been bullied before by the group and that Guardado may have owed Arbelo money.
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