Arrest made in stabbing death of nuclear engineer

A man charged with attempted murder as a juvenile seven years ago was arrested Thursday and charged with the stabbing death of Alexander Restrepo, who was killed Saturday night outside a home where someone had thrown a Halloween party.

Restrepo, 33, a nuclear engineer who worked at Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station, died following an assault by a group of people, Miami-Dade police said.

Miami-Dade Police Det. Argemis Colome said that the argument started in front of the home where the party originated at 15747 SW 147th St. and then spilled out onto the road. Restrepo was found a few doors away at 2:52 a.m. Saturday at 15711 SW 147th St. with multiple stab wounds to his torso.

His brother Christopher had stab wounds to his right hand and head.

On Thursday, police arrested Edwin Rios, 24, and charged him with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon and attempted second-degree murder.

Rios, who lives in Southwest Miami-Dade, has had numerous run-ins with police.

According to police records in Florida, in August 2010, Rios was arrested by Miami-Dade police and charged with disorderly conduct, aggravated battery and attempted murder when he discharged a firearm in public. He was 17.

Rios pleaded no contest to the attempted murder charge and a judge withheld adjudication, meaning Rios would not have the conviction on his record. The other charges were dropped.

In April 2013, Miami police arrested Rios, then 19, and charged him with battery. The charges were dropped.

According to WPLG Local 10, the Restrepo brothers were at a Halloween party when they got into some kind of verbal altercation inside the home. The hosts asked the people involved to leave.

Witnesses said the argument, which involved about six people, escalated in the street. Christopher Restrepo said he was stabbed in the arm as they were ambushed. Alex was stabbed in the back. The attack was caught on surveillance video, neighbors said.

“He saved my life because he was fighting off, I don’t know how many guys, for me to be able to get away,” Christopher Restrepo told WPLG.

Restrepo, a Coral Reef High School and University of Florida graduate, was mourned by his family and a large group of friends who took to social media early in the week.

Igor Merda said on a Facebook post that his brother-in-law was an “exceptional man” who was close with his mother, Amparo Restrepo. “He had the ability to amaze you,” his post read.

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Arrest made in stabbing death of nuclear engineer."