PHOENIX — Two arrests have been made in the stabbing death of a man that occurred near I-17 and Indian School Road early Wednesday morning.
Phoenix police say that 19-year-old Christian Perdomo Salguero was taken to the hospital after police arrived just after 2 a.m. Police say he died from his injuries while at the hospital.
On Friday, Phoenix police said they gathered enough information to find three suspects who were allegedly involved in an altercation with Salguero in the early hours of the New Year.
Two of the suspects, a 17-year-old male, and 26-year-old Tomas Reyes-Marin, were located and arrested Wednesday afternoon near 35th Avenue and Van Buren Street.
Witnesses told police Reyes-Marin was driving a truck with two juvenile males inside when the group allegedly had a confrontation with the victim and his friends at an apartment parking lot adjacent to I-17 and Indian School Road.
Police say Reyes-Marin reportedly pulled out a belt and started damaging Salguero’s car with the belt buckle. The men fought until the two juveniles, who police say are brothers, got out of the truck wielding knives.
According to court records, Salguero was caught by the trio, and Reyes-Marin began striking him with the belt buckle while the two juveniles stabbed him.
Reyes-Marin allegedly admitted to police that he was in an altercation but insisted Salguero and his friends were the aggressors. Police say the belt Reyes-Marin was wearing matched the description given by the witnesses and matched the damage to the car.
Blood-stained clothing was reportedly found in Reyes-Marin’s home.
Reyes-Marin is being held on a $500,000 bond. He and the 17-year-old male have been charged with second-degree murder.
“I am missing a little piece a piece of my heart and I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Viki Salguero, Christian’s mom. “They need to pay for everything they did because he doesn’t deserve this. My son doesn’t deserve this. He’s not a bad person.”
A Gofundme has been set up to help with Salguero's funeral costs.
