News & Politics - Student stabbed & murdered at local South Florida high school

**vc318** · 09-15-2009, 08:11 PM

Coral Gables: Student stabbed to death at Coral Gables Senior High School -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Victim identified in fatal stabbing at Coral Gables Senior High School

CORAL GABLES - With students spilling into the hallways and courtyard of Coral Gables Senior High School on Tuesday morning, 17-year-old Juan Carlos Rivera found himself outside the gym at about 9 a.m. locked in a shoving match with another student.

Tussling over the reported affection of a girl, Juan Carlos and the other boy pushed each other in what seemed like a typical schoolyard fight that would be settled with fists.

Instead, the boy pulled a blade on Juan Carlos and, according to witnesses, stabbed him three times -- once in the chest, once in the collarbone and once near the stomach.

As Juan Carlos lay dying on the ground, the boy dashed away but was caught almost immediately by Coral Gables police.

Within minutes, the school was in lockdown, with top school district officials, police and panicked parents descending on its campus trying to comprehend the death of one student at the hands of another.

"This will be a very lengthy and detailed investigation," said Detective Alvaro Zabaleta, a Miami-Dade police spokesman.

The suspect, who a law enforcement source identified as Andy Rodriguez, 17, was interrogated by detectives. No charges, however, have been filed.

"Obviously something went very wrong here today. We'll have many conversations about what we'll learn from this very terrible tragedy," said Miami-Dade School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho at an afternoon news conference at the school at 450 Bird Road.

At Juan Carlos' home in Miami, Laura Peinado, 20, the dead teen's cousin, told reporters that Juan Carlos, originally from Cuba, had moved to Miami only about five months ago and was happy to be in high school, and determined to graduate.

"He didn't talk about any problems," she said.

Juan Carlos lived in a two-story Miami apartment with his grandmother and uncle, said Peinado, who said the boy's mother still lives in Cuba and that his father lives in Spain.

She said she saw the news of the killing and started calling him. She couldn't reach him and rushed to the school.

"We waited until 2:30 for the dismissal and he never came out," she said.

The family still wasn't sure Tuesday afternoon how to tell the teen's mother in Cuba.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's office is helping to arrange a humanitarian visa for the mother.

Said Peinado: "I want justice from whoever killed my cousin."

Classmate Yani Acosta, 16, had a P.E. class with Juan Carlos.

"He always had a smile on his face," she said crying. "He was really happy. He was a funny kid."

Witnesses told The Miami Herald that the surreal crime scene turned chaotic in the aftermath of the slaying.

"It was like watching a movie." said Felix Cedeño, a sophomore who saw the fight on his way to the restroom. "It just keeps on replaying in my mind. He died right there."

My gosh. This is just too much! I live in South Florida and when I heard this news I just could not believe it. I mean, I'm not surprised especially after all the budge cuts to education and no protection available for our children in schools anymore but how these things go on is inexcusable not just here but everywhere! How do you even get into a school with a weapon?! Has enough violence happened in schools now that maybe something will finally be done to keep our kids safe?! This is so frightening. Now I know why Miami is listed at the 99th worst place to raise your kids in. I need to get the heck out of here.

**NikNak** · 09-16-2009, 05:55 PM

Oh my goodness! This is terrible.

**vc318** · 09-17-2009, 07:09 AM

And his parents don't even live in the states. I mean, can you imagine having to be called to find out that your son has just died? Such sad news.

**sunnykerr** · 09-17-2009, 06:06 PM

That's so sad.

At first, I thought you were talking about this story:

Quote:

Lab tech charged with Yale grad student's murder

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – As police charged a Yale animal lab technician with murdering a graduate student who worked in his building, a portrait began to emerge Thursday of an unpleasant stickler for the rules who often clashed with researchers and considered the mice cages his personal fiefdom.

Police charged 24-year-old Raymond Clark III with murder, arresting him at a motel a day after taking hair, fingernail and saliva samples to compare with evidence from the grisly crime scene at Yale's medical school.

Bond was set at $3 million for Clark, who kept his head down and said "Yes, your honor," when asked whether he understood his rights.

The muscular former high school baseball and football player is charged in the death of 24-year-old Annie Le, a pharmacology doctoral student at Yale who vanished Sept. 8. Her body was discovered five days later — her wedding day — stuffed into a utility compartment behind a wall in the basement of the research building where she and Clark worked.

Authorities offered no details about the crime Thursday. They would not discuss a motive, largely because Clark will not talk to police, and would not disclose the DNA test results or how they connected Clark to the slaying.

The Rev. Dennis Smith, a Le family spokesman, said he was not authorized to comment on the arrest. Smith said he did not know whether Le had ever complained about Clark.

Clark appeared in court with two public defenders who were new to the case. A private-practice attorney who had represented him during the investigation did not attend the hearing and said Thursday he no longer represents Clark. The attorney declined to give a reason.

Public defender Joseph Lopez said he was still reviewing the case and declined to comment.

Co-workers told police that Clark was a "control freak" who viewed the laboratory and its mice as his territory, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing and many details remain sealed.

The official said police are looking into whether Clark's attitude led to a deadly workplace confrontation with Le, who was just 4-foot-11 and 90 pounds. But investigators say that's just a theory at this point.

The investigator also said authorities do not necessarily need to prove a motive because they have an abundance of strong forensic evidence.

As a technician, Clark's duties included cleaning mouse cages and the floors of the lab.

Le's work involved experiments on mice that were part of research into enzymes that could have implications for treatment of cancer, diabetes and muscular dystrophy.

The New York Times reported that Clark at times grew angry if lab workers did not wear shoe covers. "He would make a big deal of it, instead of just requesting that they wear them," said a researcher who asked not to be identified.

ABC News reported that Clark sent a text message to Le on the day she vanished requesting a meeting to discuss the cleanliness of mouse cages in the research lab.

At a news conference Thursday, New Haven Police Chief James Lewis called Le's death a case of workplace violence. He would not elaborate except to say reports that the two had a romantic relationship were untrue.

"It is important to note that this is not about urban crime, university crime, domestic crime but an issue of workplace violence, which is becoming a growing concern around the country," Lewis said, adding that he would not rule out additional charges.

The Connecticut medical examiner said Wednesday that Le died of "traumatic asphyxiation," which could indicate a choke hold or some other form of suffocation caused by a hand or an object such as a pipe.

Investigators focused on Clark early in the investigation and searched his apartment Tuesday, when they labeled him a person of interest. He remained under constant surveillance after he was released early Wednesday and found a room at the Super 8 motel in Cromwell, Conn.

Clark was arrested about 8 a.m. Thursday. Details of the warrant remained sealed.

The New Haven Register printed a rare extra edition announcing Clark's arrest, wrapping it around Thursday's daily newspaper and selling it on the streets, editor Jack Kramer said.

Yale President Richard Levin released a statement shortly after the arrest, saying Clark's employment history raised no suspicions.

"This incident could have happened in any city, in any university, or in any workplace. It says more about the dark side of the human soul than it does about the extent of security measures," Levin said in a message sent to the Yale community.

The family of Le's fiance, Jonathan Widawsky, issued a statement Thursday, thanking people who were involved in preparations for "a wedding that was not to be."

Clark was taken to the New Haven Correctional Center, a high-security state prison for people awaiting trial. His next court date is Oct. 6.

"We share in the grief of the family of Annie Le and are, collectively, doing our best to deal with our tragic loss," said the family's statement, which concluded: "Annie will live in our hearts forever."

Lab tech charged with Yale grad student's murder - Yahoo! News

This violence in schools... it's just never gonna stop, is it?

**NikNak** · 09-17-2009, 07:32 PM

Unfortunately, it does not seem that way.

So incredibly sad.

**vc318** · 09-19-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post)

That's so sad.

At first, I thought you were talking about this story:

Lab tech charged with Yale grad student's murder - Yahoo! News

This violence in schools... it's just never gonna stop, is it?

Oh, that story was pretty messed up too. I mean, what must you be on to take the time to put somebody's body in a wall?! You have to be seriously sick.

As far as that high school stabbing, 7 more cases of students being weapons onto school grounds were reported the very next day. Apparently these kids think it so darn funny bringing knives and loaded weapons to school. Where are the parents?

**sunnykerr** · 09-21-2009, 06:30 PM

It's just crazy, to me, what people can do to one another.

The man who stuffed that girl in a wall... His friends say he's the nicest guy. Which tells you his problem is with women. And I don't understand how you can have that in today's society.

I mean, are certain people just dumped in caves when they are born and they just grow up away from any normal people?

I was weird as a kid. Kinda anti-social. Guess what, it's pretty hard to stay that way in this day and age.

**vc318** · 09-26-2009, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post)

It's just crazy, to me, what people can do to one another.

The man who stuffed that girl in a wall... His friends say he's the nicest guy. Which tells you his problem is with women. And I don't understand how you can have that in today's society.

I heard the victim was pretty nice too. Maybe the girl's fiance set the killer off and that's why he took it out on that poor girl.

Quote:

I was weird as a kid. Kinda anti-social. Guess what, it's pretty hard to stay that way in this day and age.

But there's being shy and then there's what this guy did. You really have to nuts to do something like this.

**sunnykerr** · 09-27-2009, 05:17 PM

I just don't understand how people can "stay" that way. I mean, how does no one notice something is terribly wrong?

Didn't this creep have people who actually knew him, parents, siblings, real friends? Didn't his teachers, colleagues, bosses realize he was too strange?

Months ago, a man in Canada beheaded a young man on a bus. It doesn't make more sense, really. But this criminal was a recent immigrant with severe mental illness. So I don't understand how he was let in to begin with but, once that had happened, it's easy to understand that transients and the homeless will fall through the cracks.

It's not okay, but I can understand that it happens.

What I don't understand is how a person can be this cracked and yet remain, by all accounts, a member of society that's functional enough to fool everyone.

**vc318** · 09-28-2009, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post)

I just don't understand how people can "stay" that way. I mean, how does no one notice something is terribly wrong?

I guess it can happen when someone finally "snaps."

Quote:

Months ago, a man in Canada beheaded a young man on a bus. It doesn't make more sense, really. But this criminal was a recent immigrant with severe mental illness. So I don't understand how he was let in to begin with but, once that had happened, it's easy to understand that transients and the homeless will fall through the cracks.

Was he ever arrested in his life for anything? If so, I bet it was documented somewhere that he had some sort of mental illness but it went ignored and he was just released into the streets without the slightest medical care.

So, the superintendent of Miami-Dade said after the stabbing of the high school student that placing metal detectors in public schools is out of the question since he claims that he doesn't want our kids feeling like they're in jail every time they go to school. So, what's the solution to this? Just ignore it? And what about the safety of teachers? We're condemned if we bring any sort of weapon to protect ourselves from the craziness of these students but we're just supposed to deal with it too?

**sunnykerr** · 09-28-2009, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vc318 (View Post)

Was he ever arrested in his life for anything? If so, I bet it was documented somewhere that he had some sort of mental illness but it went ignored and he was just released into the streets without the slightest medical care.

He hadn't been arrested. He was a recent immigrant. His mental illness hadn't been diagnosed back home either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vc318 (View Post)

So, the superintendent of Miami-Dade said after the stabbing of the high school student that placing metal detectors in public schools is out of the question since he claims that he doesn't want our kids feeling like they're in jail every time they go to school. So, what's the solution to this? Just ignore it? And what about the safety of teachers? We're condemned if we bring any sort of weapon to protect ourselves from the craziness of these students but we're just supposed to deal with it too?

There has to be a middle ground between ignoring it and creating a challenge for the criminal element while really driving home to the good students just how little trust they can be expected to receive, no?

There's clearly a problem, but violence in schools won't be resolved by caging the kids and treating everyone like criminals.