A killer remains on the run after a fatal stabbing outside a busy Mexican restaurant in Sydney – which they say was a ‘targeted’ attack.
Emergency services rushed to Marrickville Road in the city’s inner west at 7.40pm on Monday, after a man was attacked with a blade outside Guzman Y Gomez.
Police and paramedics arrived at the scene and found a 32-year-old man with stab wounds and unconscious on the ground outside the restaurant.
CPR was performed on the man but he could not be revived and was declared dead at the scene.
Relatives and friends raced to the scene, wanting to see the man, who was covered by a white sheet.
Witnesses heard the ‘heartbreaking’ cries of the man’s mother, while his brother rushed to lift the sheet covering the body.
Police held back the distraught man who was heard screaming: ‘He’s my f***ing brother, don’t touch me.’
The brother was restrained by police and a taser was ‘drawn’ but not deployed.
Superintendent Ben Kennis confirmed the victim – who was ‘known to police’ and was with a number of people at the restaurant prior to the stabbing.
He said police believe the ‘two people met, and the attack was somewhat targeted’.
‘It was not random in nature,’ he said. It’s too early to say if they had arranged it … it was clear that they did know each other.’
Relatives and friends raced to the scene, wanting to see the man, who was covered by a white sheet.
Superintendent Kennis said it was ‘too early’ to explain how the man’s family arrived at the scene so quickly.
‘A number of family and friends did converge on the crime scene. It was a highly emotive crime scene at the time,’ he said.
‘A male did breach the crime scene and had to be restrained by the police,’ Superintendent Kennis said.
Other distressed relatives of the victim were heard wailing as police scoured the surrounding scene with flashlights searching for evidence, and interviewed nearby shopkeepers.
The dead man’s relatives were moved on by police before the scene was cordoned off.
Superintendent Kennis did not comment on the man’s injuries but said they were inflicted with a ‘sharp instrument’.
‘I don’t know whether it was a knife… I know it was a sharp instrument given the injuries,’ he said.
‘I cannot say with any certainty what weapon used was. A large and continuing crime scene is being examined today.’
One witness, named Karen, who was shopping at the nearby Woolworths, said she saw paramedics and police trying to revive the man but after five minutes he ‘passed away’.
‘It makes me so sad because I am from overseas and I know that this country is so safe,’ Karen said.
‘To be honest I did not expect these kinds of things to happen in this country. It makes me feel sad, and sad for the guy.’
Marrickville Road was closed in both directions at the intersection of Illawarra Road and Garners Avenue
Surrounding streets were also blocked off as police established a crime scene.
It’s expected the street closures will remain for some time with motorists advised to avoid the area.
Locals expressed their shock at such a horrific crime happening in their neighbourhood.
‘Blood everywhere,’ one wrote.
‘I saw cop cars coming from everywhere,’ another said.
Police have launched Strike Force Nogales, with the assistance of detectives from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.
Superintendent Kennis appealed to the public for help in identifying the ‘unknown’ attacker who was last seen ‘running down’ Silver Street in Marrickville.
‘I urge anyone with dash cam, CCTV, mobile phone footage to please come forward to the police or call Crime Stoppers … or contact the detectives at Marrickville police station,’ Superintendent Kennis said.
Superintendent Kennis added it was still ‘very early days’ in the investigation and did not comment on footage captured on CCTV cameras.
‘There’s a large amount of CCTV to capture and then go through so that is still underway at the moment,’ he said.
‘Witnesses and CCTV evidence that we have have gathered does depict a person that we believe may be able to assist our enquiries.’
He added officers were canvasing the area and conducting interviews with neighbours in a bid to identify the offender.
Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the stabbing and are hunting for those responsible. No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information or were in the area at the time and have dashcam or mobile phone footage are being urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
