Teen Stabbed at Park Glen Apartments
By: Jackie Smith
Updated: November 25, 2010
It's been a tragic Thanksgiving holiday for some people in Midland, after a teenage boy was found dead.
It all started around two this morning when Midland Police responded to a home invasion call at the Park Glen Apartments.
When they arrived, they found the body of a 19-year-old boy.
Before he was killed, investigators say he was trying to break into someone's home.
Gabriel Escontrias Jr. was stabbed to death earlier this morning.
Police say Escontrias tried to break into a womans apartment and when she would not let him in he attacked her.
Investigators say thats when the other man in the apartment came to her rescue and stabbed Escontrias multiple times in the upper torso.
This is the picture police are painting tonight.
But I was at Park Glen earlier today where I spoke to some neighbors who knew Escontrias and say that is not what happened.
All thats left from the early morning commotion is blood stains splattered along the sidewalk.
Those stains belong to Gabriel Escontrias.
The nineteen year old boy who is being accused of invading someones home.
"He's dead, that hurts, especially you know what their saying about him," said a neighbor.
But neighbors who did not want to reveal their identities are saying something different.
Police say Escontrias knocked on this apartment door when a woman answered.
He told them he had car trouble.
He asked if he could use their phone.
When they opened the door, the woman says Escontrias attacked her and the man she was with defended her honor by stabbing escontrias multiple times in the upper torso.
But neighbors say Escontrias is not the one to blame because the woman and man have a reputation.
"Maybe he heard something, maybe the lady was screaming, maybe he tried to help, according to the people next door when they heard the commotion they thought oh its the husband beating the wife again," said a neighbor.
"I think the lady and man are lying and I don't think the guy should have left the scene," said a neighbor.
Neighbors are suspicious that not only did the man leave the scene but no one called the police right away.
Instead they let Escontrias drag his bloody body out to the car as you can see from the drips of blood right outside the door.
He dropped his body on the sidewalk flowers now stand.
He later died.
"He was respectful he was kind, he would come to our house and eat our food, he would say yes ma'am or no ma'am, he wouldnt do that to anybody," said a neighbor.
"I just hope everything gets sorted and Gabriels name gets cleared up, he was young," said a neighbor.
The man and women involved were treated for minor injuries at Midland Memorial Hospital.
According to investigators the man was questioned and later realeased.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiners office will be doing an autopsy.
Midland Police Department could not be reached for further comment.
But neighbors told me they will continue talking in hopes that what they feel is the real truth comes out.
Police will continue to investigate.
It all started around two this morning when Midland Police responded to a home invasion call at the Park Glen Apartments.
When they arrived, they found the body of a 19-year-old boy.
Before he was killed, investigators say he was trying to break into someone's home.
Gabriel Escontrias Jr. was stabbed to death earlier this morning.
Police say Escontrias tried to break into a womans apartment and when she would not let him in he attacked her.
Investigators say thats when the other man in the apartment came to her rescue and stabbed Escontrias multiple times in the upper torso.
This is the picture police are painting tonight.
But I was at Park Glen earlier today where I spoke to some neighbors who knew Escontrias and say that is not what happened.
All thats left from the early morning commotion is blood stains splattered along the sidewalk.
Those stains belong to Gabriel Escontrias.
The nineteen year old boy who is being accused of invading someones home.
"He's dead, that hurts, especially you know what their saying about him," said a neighbor.
But neighbors who did not want to reveal their identities are saying something different.
Police say Escontrias knocked on this apartment door when a woman answered.
He told them he had car trouble.
He asked if he could use their phone.
When they opened the door, the woman says Escontrias attacked her and the man she was with defended her honor by stabbing escontrias multiple times in the upper torso.
But neighbors say Escontrias is not the one to blame because the woman and man have a reputation.
"Maybe he heard something, maybe the lady was screaming, maybe he tried to help, according to the people next door when they heard the commotion they thought oh its the husband beating the wife again," said a neighbor.
"I think the lady and man are lying and I don't think the guy should have left the scene," said a neighbor.
Neighbors are suspicious that not only did the man leave the scene but no one called the police right away.
Instead they let Escontrias drag his bloody body out to the car as you can see from the drips of blood right outside the door.
He dropped his body on the sidewalk flowers now stand.
He later died.
"He was respectful he was kind, he would come to our house and eat our food, he would say yes ma'am or no ma'am, he wouldnt do that to anybody," said a neighbor.
"I just hope everything gets sorted and Gabriels name gets cleared up, he was young," said a neighbor.
The man and women involved were treated for minor injuries at Midland Memorial Hospital.
According to investigators the man was questioned and later realeased.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiners office will be doing an autopsy.
Midland Police Department could not be reached for further comment.
But neighbors told me they will continue talking in hopes that what they feel is the real truth comes out.
Police will continue to investigate.
