The day before his trial was set to begin, a 21-year-old man admitted he stabbed another man to death and was then sentenced to life in prison, the Cobb County district attorney said.
Nelson Diaz-Chicas pleaded guilty to malice murder Monday in the death of Sergio Luis Ortega Quiera.
“The sentencing of Nelson Diaz-Chicas reflects the consequences of senseless violence,” DA Flynn Broady said in a statement. “Our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of Sergio Luis Ortega Quiera.”
On June 30, 2022, Cobb police were called to the El Velero Seafood and Mexican Restaurant, located at 768 Sandtown Road, where they found a man bleeding on the sidewalk.
Quiera had been stabbed four times, including in the lung and heart, and later died from his injuries at a hospital, investigators said.
Witnesses told officers Quiera had walked into El Velero and sat down with two men who were having dinner. The men didn’t know him, but they said he was scared. Diaz-Chicas later walked into the restaurant holding a small knife and a piece of wood, the DA’s office said.
Diaz-Chicas told Quiera he wanted to fight, but Quiera said no, investigators said.
“Despite Quiera’s reluctance, the defendant escalated the situation by striking him with the wooden object, prompting the victim to defend himself,” the DA’s office said. “The altercation spilled into the parking lot, where Quiera was stabbed multiple times.”
Investigators found Diaz-Chicas the following day around 5 a.m. at a home where he was known to stay. He attempted to run from officers but was taken into custody. He has been held at the Cobb jail since his arrest.
According to his jail booking information, Diaz-Chicas was possibly violating immigration laws and was under investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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