A brawl in Chelsea this past weekend has left one man dead and an 18-year-old from Malden behind bars on a first-degree murder charge, officials report. Joksin Briones-Blandon, the accused, faced a judge in Chelsea District Court this morning, where his bail was denied, as stated by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in a press release.
Chaos erupted near Highland and Grove streets in Chelsea when police were summoned to the scene of the fight around 10 p.m. on Saturday night. Santos Cartegena, 44, was discovered having sustained multiple stab wounds. In an effort to get help, he drove himself to Whidden Hospital and was later transferred to Beth Israel Hospital, where his wounds proved fatal. He succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Sunday, according to District Attorney Kevin Hayden.
Authorities report that footage recovered from nearby surveillance cameras was instrumental in piecing together the events of that night. It showed a grim escalation: three men fighting, separating; then Briones-Blandon allegedly taking a kitchen knife from a backpack to re-enter the fray and stab Cartegena in the back, Hayden recounted.
After the incident, Briones-Blandon seemingly left the scene only to return later for a red motorcycle, at which point he was apprehended by the Chelsea police. The police took Briones-Blandon to be questioned and then arrested him, “This was an exceptionally violent incident that was captured on video, giving investigators valuable information to help determine what happened and who was involved,” said Hayden, as reported by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in a press release. A probable cause hearing for Briones-Blandon is scheduled for August 20, 2024.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to unearth the details of the confrontation that led to Cartegena's death. Meanwhile, the district attorney has extended his deepest condolences to the victim's family and friends in the aftermath of the tragedy.
