A man has been charged with second-degree murder stemming from a fatal stabbing that happened over a decade ago in Boca Raton, after a long-delayed arrest brought the case back into the spotlight, officials said.
Peterson Eliantus, 37, is accused of killing Anastasio Caceres, 25, following a heated dispute turned altercation in August of 2012, as CBS12 reported. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office stated that after the physical fight, Eliantus allegedly fled, while Caceres was taken to a hospital by friends, where, he later succumbed to his injuries.
In a tragic recollection of that fateful night, one neighbor described witnessing the escalation to deputies. The neighbor reported seeing Eliantus stab Caceres, followed by the victim's incredulous words, "Yo bro, you really stabbed me bro?" as he clutched his stomach area, as per the account given to CBS12.
An autopsy performed the day after the incident confirmed Caceres' cause of death as a stab wound to the chest and abdomen. Eliantus, whose whereabouts remained unknown for years, faced a Palm Beach County judge this morning and was denied bond, as WPTV noted. After his first court appearance, further legal proceedings are expected to follow.
The incident, which seemed to have remained unsolved for over a dozen years, has once again come to the fore, with the local community and the victim's family anticipating the course of justice after such an extended delay. Eliantus' arrest marks a significant development as the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the case.
