A 20-year-old man died after he was stabbed inside a Target store in Bakersfield, California, after an altercation that began in the parking lot moved inside the store, according to police and the victim’s family.
The victim, Aden Aguilar, was taken to a local hospital after the stabbing but later died from his injuries, his family said. Police identified 33-year-old Brett Oleary as the suspect, and he has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Aguilar’s death.
According to investigators, Aguilar and Oleary were involved in an altercation in the parking lot of the Valley Plaza Target on the night of the incident. The confrontation continued into the store, where Aguilar was injured.
Police said a knife believed to have been used in the stabbing was later found nearby.
Family says Aguilar was trying to help
Aguilar’s family has described him as someone who stepped in because he was trying to stop a fight.
His mother, Aldennisha Rowel, said her son was attempting to help when the confrontation turned deadly. She described Aguilar as not only her son but also her best friend and said the loss has left the family struggling to cope.
Rowel said she learned that Aguilar had been stabbed after one of his friends contacted her following the incident.
According to the family, the friend had been with Aguilar that night and later told Rowel where her son had been injured. Aguilar was transported to a hospital, but he did not survive.
The family has also created a fundraiser in Aguilar’s memory.
Police have not released what started the fight
Investigators have said the confrontation began with an altercation involving several people in the Target parking lot before continuing inside the store.
Authorities have not publicly established what triggered the initial dispute or provided a detailed account of what happened immediately before Aguilar was stabbed.
That leaves some details of the incident unclear as the investigation and criminal case move forward.
The discovery of the suspected knife has also become part of the investigation as authorities work to establish the events leading up to Aguilar’s death.
Mother says she wants to forgive
Despite the loss, Rowel said she does not want to respond with hatred toward the person accused in her son’s death.
She said she wants to forgive Oleary and described hearing that he was remorseful and sorry about what happened.
The case remains a criminal proceeding, and the murder charge is an allegation. Oleary is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty in court.
For Aguilar’s family, however, the legal process comes alongside a much more personal loss. His mother continues to mourn a son she says was trying to help when the confrontation turned fatal.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the stabbing remains ongoing, while the criminal case proceeds through the court system.
