Man arrested after stabbing man at Cuban restaurant on Eighth Street, police say

A man defending a restaurant employee from verbal harassment at a Cuban restaurant on Southwest Eighth Street was stabbed multiple times during an altercation Tuesday night, according to police.

Miami-Dade Police say that an employee of Sabor Cubano Cafeteria, 12848 SW Eighth St, was harassed by 35-year-old Jose Javier Rivero when Yuberlandy Gomez Legra, 39, stepped in to help.

Rivero and Gomez left the restaurant and began to fight. But the situation escalated when Rivero pulled out a knife and stabbed Gomez Legra multiple times, according to Rivero’s arrest report. Witnesses told police Gomez Legra tried to block the attack using the top of a trash can.

Police say Rivero fled the scene but not before leaving behind his cell phone, hat and sunglasses.

Gomez Legra was given medical aid by the employee before officers arrived and he was rushed to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Police say he had three stab wounds, underwent multiple surgeries to control the bleeding and had to be intubated. He was in an unconscious state as of Wednesday evening.

At about 12: 30 p.m. Wednesday police learned that Rivero returned to the restaurant looking for the phone he had left behind. Police arrested him after confirming he was the one who stabbed Gomez Legra.

“With the assistance of the community and the media, the subject was swiftly arrested by detectives, and charged accordingly,” MDPD said in a statement.

Rivero has been charged with second-degree attempted murder with a deadly weapon and remains at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Thursday morning, jail records show. His bond is “to be set.”