Gustavo Giraldo
White male
Age at time: 21
Weapon: knife, baseball bat
Joanna Regueira
White female
Age at time: 21
Weapon: knife, baseball bat
Ricardo Velasquez
White male
Age at time: 19
Weapon: knife
Defendant photo: Florida Department of Corrections
Case type:
Dispute over money/property
Location:
Victim's Home
Initiator:
Disputed
Witnesses:
No
Case year:
2007
Location details: In the victim's home in Hollywood, Broward County, on May 29, 2007
What happened: The day after arguing with the victim and his girlfriend over money, Ricardo Velazquez, an Opa-locka laborer, said he got a text message from the two, asking him to come to their apartment in Hollywood. When Velazquez got there, police say he rushed past Joanna Regueira, stabbing her in the head, and attacked her boyfriend, Gustavo Giraldo. In the ensuing scuffle, all three were stabbed multiple times and Velazquez was left in critical condition. However, the state charged Velazquez with attempted second-degree murder. .
The outcome: The Fourth District panel upheld a trial judge's decision to deny immunity to Velasquez, clearing the way for Broward prosecutors to take the attempted murder case to trial. Velasquez, who claimed self-defense for his role in the fight, eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years. He was released from custody in October 2011
Investigating agency: Broward County Sheriff
Case decision made by: Judge
Trayvon Martin’s death became controversial because circumstances leading up to the shooting cast doubt on who was to blame. The Tampa Bay Times reviewed other “stand your ground” cases for similar circumstances. The Times relied on available information, some of which may not tell the whole story. When the situation was unclear, that was noted.
| Yes | No | Unclear/ disputed |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Did the victim initiate the confrontation? |
 |
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Was the victim armed? |
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Was the victim committing a crime that led to the confrontation? |
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Did the defendant pursue the victim? |
|
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Could the defendant have retreated to avoid the conflict? |
|
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Was the defendant on his or her property? |
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Did someone witness the attack? |
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Was there physical evidence? |
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Source: Fourth District State Court of Appeal, Feb. 2, 2009.
Source: Miami Herald, June 5, 2007.
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Case last updated: July 3, 2012
