Police Looking For Info After Altercation Leads To Apparent Stabbing
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PEMBROKE PINES (CBSMiami) - For the second time in the past three months, Pembroke Pines Police were called after a serious incident involving a victim who was attacked outside the Cigar Bar at the Shops at Pembroke Gardens.
Last December, police say a man was shot outside the Cigar Bar and another man was arrested. This time, police in this city responded to a 9-1-1 call involving a man lying down in front of the Cigar Bar.
Captain Al Xiques with the Pembroke Pines Police Department told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that the victim, 26-year-old Ronald Parks of Pembroke Pines, was stabbed in the torso. He was rushed toMemorial Regional Hospital in critical condition but Xiques said his condition had stabilized.
CLICK HERE To Watch Peter D'Oench's Report
A Good Samaritan, Gabriel Soto, said he was injured while trying to break up the fight and showed CBS4 how his lip was cut and how he lost a tooth.
"I felt like I was doing the right thing. I don't know what more I could have done. As I told police I feel I did everything I could," he said.
Soto told police what he knew.
"I know that somebody got into an altercation and I thought I might help," he said. "I tried to help them. There was an altercation, a fight outside the club. Nothing happened inside the club. Neither you nor I would be able to evade something like this."
"I saw someone get into a verbal altercation and I knew from how I was raised that this was not going to anywhere," said Soto. "I stepped in to help. I literally got punched in my face and I lost my tooth."
"It sucks," he said. "I don't have my tooth. I always tried to do the right thing and now because I chose to do the right thing, my tooth is gone."
Capt. Xiques told D'Oench that he was not sure what prompted this incident.
"At this time detectives have still not determined what caused that or whowas involved," he said. "That's why at time we are asking for the public's help. Anyone who was around the business and may have seen something should call us."
Capt. Xiques said police were concerned.
"Whenever an incident occurs like this, it is a concern not just for public safety but we are worried about the possibility of injuries for those officers responding who are trying to get to the scene," said Xiques.
He said so far there was no description to release of a suspect or suspects.
CBS4 also reached out to Parks' father but he said at this point he did not want to comment.
Xiques said anyone with information regarding the latest incident should contact the Pembroke Pines police department at (954) 431-2200, email to tips@ppines.com or call Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS (8477).
Police said in the previous incident on December 15th, 20-year-old Andrew Verde of Hialeah suffered a gunshot wound from a handgun to the upper part of his torso. He was also transported to Memorial Regional Hospital.
Police said the incident stemmed from an altercation. They said that 22-year-old Calvin Rahman of Pembroke Pines was charged with attempted felony murder in that case. That shooting also happened early in the morning at 2:57 a.m.
At the time, Verde's brother told CBS4's Joan Murray that Verde had been accepted to a police academy in Jacksonville and was planning to start attending the academy this past January.
Verde's brother said he was not able to do that because he was shot twice. One bullet shattered a bone in his left arm and another struck him in the chest. His brother said Verde did not know the man who shot him.
