On Sept. 15, 2009 at 9 a.m., two students at Coral Gables Senior High School – Juan Carlos Rivera, 17, and Andy Rodriguez, 17 – engaged in a shoving match that ended with Rodriguez stabbing Rivera three times. Rivera was critically injured in his chest, his collarbone and near his stomach.
The fight, which reportedly started over a girl, ended with the death of Rivera. Although Rodriguez attempted to flee the scene on foot, he was quickly chased down by Coral Gables police.
Within minutes of the incident, head school district officials locked down the campus, and police began to question students and teachers about the stabbings. Rodriguez was taken in for interrogation.
During the lock down, parents, who had received text messages from their children about the stabbing, started to amass on the football field. Many parents grew uneasy and restless as their students remained in lock down through the early afternoon. Eventually, police and school officials slowly started to release students to their parents throughout the afternoon.
Later that Tuesday night, Rodriguez was officially charged with murder. If charged and convicted as an adult, Rodriguez could face life in prison.
According to classmates and teachers, Rivera was fun, loving and had a great sense of humor. Rivera, who had just moved to the Miami area in April 2009, had been living with his cousin, uncle and grandmother at the time of his death. His mother, who currently lives in Cuba, stated that she was not ready to talk about her son’s death.
Contact the Killino Firm For more information about this news event, or a wrongful death case in Florida, contact a wrongful death lawyer at The Killino Firm, where Keeping America Safe is our primary goal. Please call us toll free at 877-875-2927 to speak to one of our attorneys. We will respond promptly to your inquiry so that you can experience the The Killino Firm Difference.
