PERIDOT, AZ — An 18-year-old male is dead, and a teenager is in custody after allegedly stabbing and killing the victim early Saturday morning in eastern Arizona.
San Carlos Apache police say they were called to a home near Peridot, AZ, for a reported stabbing just before 6 a.m. Saturday.
When officers arrived, they found a male with a stab wound. He was pronounced dead.
The suspect, a teen who has not been identified, was later located in Tarzan Valley, an area of the San Carlos Apache Reservation, and taken into custody.
Charges against him have not been announced.
It's not clear how the suspect and victim were known to each other.
Police say this was an isolated event and there are no other suspects they are looking for.
The stabbing remains under investigation.
The family of 18-year-old Ruben Sanchez tell ABC15 that he was the male killed in the stabbing. They say he was working towards graduating from South Mountain High School, while also juggling work at Burger King and caring for his father, who has stage 4 cancer.
"He was ambitious, and he was responsible, and he was very caring. He was just an amazing human being,” said Ruben’s girlfriend Athena Hernandez. "We had a lot of plans together, and we talked about them a lot every single time we saw each other, and so it hurts a lot.”
She says Ruben spent the majority of his life caring and working for others.
"You know, the saying 'I would give my shirt up for somebody else in need,’ I've actually seen him do that,” said Hernandez’s mom, Mariellna. “We just want to make sure that he gets the justice that he deserves."
They say Ruben was financially savvy and the breadwinner for his family, who is now reeling, trying to figure out what is next. They also say they’re seeking out legal advice as they determine the next steps in order to get justice for Ruben.
The family says they hope the teenager they say was arrested for Sanchez’s murder, is charged as an adult.
The Sanchez family has created a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses.
