MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA (WPLF) — A suspect was arrested Saturday in connection with the stabbings of two women in South Beach.
Leigh-Ann Martinez, 21, was having a girls’ night out with Belkin Gutierrez, 20, and three other friends. The women finished dinner at TGI Friday’s at Fifth and Ocean just after 9 p.m. and headed for their car.
Martinez said a man followed them for five blocks until they reached First Street, where he attacked them.
An arrest report identified the man as 24-year-old Kidane Mengesha. The report said Mengesha grabbed Martinez and hit her in the face. Investigators said Martinez hit Mengesha back, and a fight broke out. Gutierrez tried to help her friend by hitting Mengesha, who then pulled out a knife, according to the arrest report.
Police said Mengesha stabbed Gutierrez five times, in the head, torso and arm, and stabbed Martinez once in the leg. According to the report, two men intervened, hitting Mengesha, and he ran away.
“It was a big cut — a really big cut. I freaked out and passed out on the sidewalk,” Martinez said.
Martinez said the cut was about 7 inches long. It took 25 stitches to sew up.
Gutierrez is still being treated at a hospital.
Police said they took Mengesha into custody shortly after the attack at South Pointe Park. He faces charges of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery. A judge set his bond at $50,000.
Martinez said she and her friends did nothing to provoke the attack and that Mengesha said nothing to them before he pulled the knife.
“It’s really unfair, really unfair,” Martinez said.
Police said Mengesha has no criminal record. He is from Ethiopia and came to the U.S. three years ago.
He is being held on $50,000 bond.
13 thoughts on “Ethiopian man stabs 2 women in Florida”
I say hang him, like we used to in the old country…
hung him upside dowm and make a practice target out of him. These sleezy creatures would like to practice what they do at crime infested Africa.
I hate criminals.
May God have Mercy on us.
What is going on my fello compatriots?
Why do we want our lovely country to pop
up in such a way like murder, stabbing, theft, robbing a bank,setting a house on fire deliberatly and what have you.
Its heart breaking to see the image of our lovely country tarnished every time some irresponsible of us commit a crime.
Ethiopians are well known for thier hard work and being responsible citizens of their host countries.
ATTENTION FOLKS,
This is not Ethiopia that you can simply get away with a crime.Its possible that you can run but certainly you can’t hide.For every crime you commit there is a heavy price to pay.
In the case of this guy,I hope he got some kind of mental problems otherwise he will be left to rot in jail before they ship him back to Ethiopia.
May God protect all of us from evil.
where is the other side of the story?
We need to hear the man’s side of the story.
Having said that, it is not to be condoned to have a knife and stab some one.
I say let him serve his time and deport him back to his kera gang ASAP…moron
what happend to Mengesha man? i am really sorry for those two girls and i also feel sorry for Mengesha it’s very sad he is there just 3 years in USA.
anyways, what can i say poor guy. It is good that he didn’t kill them that’s the worst for them and for him. May be he is just up set in life but u see this is not the way. Guys, pls let’s be calme come on life and problem is normale it’s part of life. COme on it’s not end of the world. let us not be up set let us not be stupied pls pls relax and take it easy be greatful to God no matter what.
Best wish for my ppl Ethiopians. Peace.
fry this idiot for spoiling the name of our country. If he survives then deport him.
What is going on with our brothers? How come one gets lost after traveling so many miles away from home? How come recent immigrants seem to be the one involved in such situations? Are those of us who lived here for so many years to be blamed for not establishing some kind of support system for our newcomers? It is time to exchange ideas.
deport this idiot back to ethiopia!!!!
He must be a Woyane thug.
If you don’t have any thing better to say then don’t….
Binyam,
I see your point. I live in LA that has probably tens and tens of thousands Ethiopians and yet we don’t have “Ethiopian Community”. When I came in the late 1980, there was one but instead of helping the needy, the people running the community center were taking the money for themselves.
Yes, we need to blame ourselves for this kind of behavior.
Sick of Woyane thieves says:
Keep in mind he grew up under the regime of Woyane. Have you considered that, maybe this was the way he was making a living. You know Woyane, unless you attack them you can get away pretty much with anything.
Debebe “NOT” Eshetu says:
Please, tell us what you have done for Emama Ethiopia with a maximum of three sentences.
Focus on the bigger picture, let’s help the ones that are trying to make a difference, if we are not taking the lead……..
Help Elias Kifle and his kinds….
See the side of the guy???…there are no circumstances in which it makes it right for this so call man to have stabbed two human beings (Women at that)…every immigrant suffers because of scum like this…look at Arizona and their strict laws, it’s all due to jerks like him
He is Moron. I also am sorry for the victims and himself. It looks like Ethiopian youth should learn a lot before entering the world.