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Joseph Wolf
- October 2, 2024
Daily Stories
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stabbing
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Suspects
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DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park denied a motion to suppress evidence in a stabbing defendant’s case on an Oct. 1 motion hearing.
Jose Garcia Fuentes, 43, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and simple assault, for his alleged role in a stabbing incident that transpired on April 24 on the 4400 block of 14th Street, NW. One person sustained lacerations to their hand and face.
According to court documents, an individual identified as Fuentes entered a restaurant and started an unprovoked fight with another patron. After the suspect kicked the patron, the complainant stepped in to defuse the situation. As events unfolded, the suspect produced a knife and allegedly slashed the victim’s face and hand. After a struggle, the suspect escaped.
During the motion hearing, Fuentes’ defense counsel, Henry Escoto, argued to suppress physical evidence, which may include the knife recovered from the scene, any identification of the defendant as the suspect, and statements obtained by the prosecution that Escoto alleges violates Fuentes’ constitutional rights.
Escoto requested Judge Park prevent the eyewitnesses from providing an in-court identification of Fuentes during their testimony, arguing that the police failed to follow proper procedure including failing to provide a photo array comparing the suspect’s picture to similar ones.
According to Escoto, one of the witnesses used his friends list on Facebook to identify Fuentes as the stabber, without any logical explanation.
The prosecution rebutted the motion, arguing that officers took lawful steps to identify the defendant, regardless of how unconventional the actions were.
Judge Park denied the motion, stating that the case law surrounding this matter is clear that in this instance there were no exclusionary rule violations based on how the evidence was collected nor in the methods of suspect identification.
Parties are expected to return to court on Oct. 2.