MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A man who was arrested Thursday in connection with a fatal stabbing that happened outside a home in southwest Miami-Dade has a history of arrests, records show.
Court documents show that Edwin Rios, 24, was on probation up until last year for felony charges dating back to when he was a teenager.
Rios is being held without bond on charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in connection with the deadly stabbing of Alex Restrepo, 33, and wounding of Restrepo's brother.
Police said the deceased victim, a nuclear engineer, was leaving a Halloween party early Saturday with his brother when they were attacked by a group of men on Southwest 147th Street.
"He saved my life because he was fighting off I don't know how many guys," Christopher Restrepo said.
Christopher Restrepo was stabbed in the arm. His brother was stabbed in the back and chest and left to die.
"He did not deserve to die that way," Amparo Restrepo said of her son.
Local 10 News reporter Layron Livingston got no answer when stopping by the suspect's home not far from where the stabbing happened.
Rios' neighbors, however, were taken aback by the news of his arrest.
"He doesn't mess with nobody. He has a lot of friends," one neighbor said.
Police believe some of those friends may be culpable in the attack.
Witnesses said the incident started as an argument inside the party that escalated outside.
Witnesses said at least six people were involved in the attack.
Despite Rios' prior arrest history, his attorney, Peter Heller, told Local 10 News reporter Christian De La Rosa that based on the arrest affidavit, there is no probable cause to charge his client with any crime, or to hold him without bond.
The arrest report did not state whether Rios actually stabbed either victim, but claimed that he was involved in the physical altercation.
Heller criticized police, saying he denied the detective's request to interview Rios, but his client was still arrested.
He has called for an emergency hearing on Monday to get the charges dropped and get his client out of jail.
Heller would not confirm whether Rios was at the Halloween party or not.
Anyone with information about the fatal stabbing is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.