08 Oct Four Arrested Following Fatal San Juan Parking Lot Stabbing

Four men face murder charges after a Saturday night parking lot altercation in San Juan ended in a fatal stabbing.

San Juan police arrested Mario “Chencho” Alejandro Sanchez, Orlando Olaguder Rabadan, John Phuc Phan, and Hector “Cuatro” Jesus Martinez Jr. on Monday in connection with the death of Eric Garcia. In addition to the murder charge, Sanchez faces an extra count for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair.

Officers responded to a call around 2:21 a.m. at 1618 N. Veterans Blvd., where they discovered Garcia lying in a parking lot with multiple stab wounds. According to probable cause affidavits, investigators noted a blood-smeared white Ford Expedition alongside scattered personal items pointing to a physical struggle. Emergency responders transported Garcia to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Surveillance footage and witness accounts revealed that a group of men assaulted Garcia before he was stabbed. Area canvasses led investigators to identify two fleeing vehicles: a dark GMC Sierra and a red Cadillac registered to Phan.

Detectives located and detained Phan and Sanchez on Sunday after matching them to security footage from the scene. During police interrogation, Sanchez admitted to engaging in multiple fights and using a long-bladed knife to stab a man. He named Phan and “Cuatro,” later identified by authorities as Martinez, as accomplices, details that investigators subsequently corroborated through witness statements and video evidence.

On Monday, officers tracked Martinez and his stepson, Rabadan, to a residence in Donna. During questioning, both men admitted to knowing Sanchez and participating in the crime by dragging Garcia from his vehicle and beating him. They also acknowledged treating injuries that Sanchez and Phan sustained during the brawl at their home in Donna.

A judge set bond at $2 million each for Rabadan and Phan, while Sanchez received a $2.1 million bond. Martinez, who was already out on bond for a prior assault charge at the time of the incident, had his bond set at $2.04 million.

Homicides and group-involved violent attacks remain relatively rare for San Juan, a city of roughly ~35,000 residents that historically reports low violent crime rates. Fatal incidents in the area typically stem from targeted late-night altercations rather than unprovoked violence.