Police Investigate Double Murder, Family Members Grieve
By: Julie Musgrave
Updated: October 1, 2009
Police investigate a brutal stabbing Thursday night in Central Lubbock. Two people are dead, and another seriously hurt.
Police say it all started from a game of pool in the early morning hours at a house at 2005 65th Street.
Officers arrived on the scene just after 2 a.m. Thursday morning. There they found 28-year-old Rudy Vela and 27-year-old Jessica Hernandez, both stabbed to death.
A third victim, 36-year-old Rachel Diaz was taken to UMC. She has since been treated and released.
Police arrested 27-year-old Ruben Garcia near the scene. He was found walking near 61st Street and Avenue S. Officials believe Garcia was upset after losing in a pool tournament. We're told alcohol was involved and police do believe Garcia was intoxicated at the time.
Captain Greg Stevens, LPD: "The suspect apparently had felt like he had been disrespected or something of that nature, alcohol was involved. We do believe the suspect was intoxicated, we do believe a lot of people at the party were intoxicated, and it was late into the evening and tempers apparently got flared and out of hand. At some point, the altercation turned physical."
Garcia has been booked into the Lubbock County Jail, he's charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
