The prosecutor believes that the man accused of murdering a thief in Inca had a clear intent to kill.

PalmThe prosecutor in the Inca stabbing case rejected the self-defense argument on Monday and maintained the request for a 15-year prison sentence for the man accused of killing a burglar who broke into his home in September 2020 to steal marijuana plants. "He leaves, walks 19 meters, and continues stabbing a person who is already seriously wounded. He keeps stabbing him again and again. The intent to kill is evident," the Public Prosecutor's Office stated in its final report. The prosecutor also maintained the request for an 11-year prison sentence for the assailants, accused of attempted robbery, given that he believes the victim and his companions traveled to Inca with the intention of stealing. "The facts were clear and are now proven," he affirmed. The events in question occurred on September 24, 2020, when, according to the prosecution, four people went to a house in Inca with the intention of stealing some marijuana plants. The three defendants remained outside to keep watch while the fourth entered the property. This last individual entered through a hole in a metal fence erected on top of the wall surrounding the property, at which point he was surprised by the owner, who stabbed him repeatedly until he died.

Statement of the alleged murderer

The defendant claimed on Monday that he doesn't remember how or when he stabbed the attacker and that it all happened very quickly. "I only saw the cut, which blinded me. I thought they were going to kill me, that it was all over, and that they would then come for my wife. I went crazy and started kicking and moving around. I don't know if I grabbed the weapon from him or if it fell to him, depending on the situation, and I don't remember. I remember everything. Then they left," he recounted, answering only questions from his lawyer.

According to his account, alerted by a noise, he left the house and headed towards "a silhouette" at the back of the property. "When I saw it was a person, I started shouting. When he realized he was surprised, he tried to run away, but halfway there he stopped and came at me savagely. I didn't know how to react; I expected him to leave, but he came running, and after about three meters I realized he was carrying a huge knife."

The man recounted that he managed to get away, but someone hit him with something blunt, and he lost his glasses. "I fell on my left side, and another person started kicking me," he added. "All I wanted was for them to leave, to get out of there. I had no intention of killing, attacking, or fighting with anyone," he stated. The man explained that it was only upon returning to the building, after the assailants had fled, that he realized his body and face were covered in blood and thought he had been injured.

The accused admitted that he undressed, left his clothes ready for the police, and showered and waited in his pajamas, although he claims he doesn't remember why he did so. Always responding to his lawyer, he stated that he wasn't carrying a weapon when he went out to confront the assailants and that he suffers from a congenital vision problem that led to glaucoma.

The accused has expressed regret for the assailant's death and stated that he has lived in anguish ever since. "I shouldn't have let fear take over. Perhaps I should have run, but I stood still," he said.

"I'll kill you like a pig"

The hearing continued with statements from the alleged assailants, accused of attempted robbery. One of them claimed he saw the man accused of killing his friend stabbing him and shouting, "I'll kill you like a pig." The man asserted that the victim was unarmed and that he didn't know the intention behind going to Inca was to rob someone. A second assailant only saw the first man dragging the victim. The third defendant accused of attempted robbery maintained that the victim was unarmed.