Thread: Hazelton Illegal immigrant will face attempted murder charge

Breaking News: Illegal immigrant will face attempted murder charges in Luzerne County 2:30 p.m.
By Bob Kalinowski , Staff Writer

An illegal immigrant once charged in a high-profile Hazleton murder will now face attempted murder charges in Luzerne County Court.


After a preliminary hearing Monday in Central Court, a district judge ruled there is enough evidence against Pedro Cabrera, 24, to forward attempted murder and related charges to county court.

Police say Cabrera stabbed and nearly killed 44-year-old Hazleton resident Damian Justofin on April 20, 2006, at 517 E. Fifth St. in Hazleton.

About a week and a half after the stabbing, Cabrera allegedly participated in the murder of 29 year-old Hazleton resident Derek Kichline. He was to stand trial in July, but one witness changed her story and another was mistakenly deported to the Dominican Republic and refused to return to the United States to testify.

Charges against Cabrera and alleged accomplice Joan Romero were dropped in on July 6.

Both were to be deported, but, on July 10, prosecutors charged Cabrera with the stabbing of Justofin.

Justofin took the stand Monday, and pointed to Cabrera as the man who attacked him.

"I felt a punch in my chest. I didn't think anything of it. I didn't realize I was stabbed," Justofin said.

"I didn't realize how serious I was. I started to pass out from a lack of blood. It was getting hard to breathe," he said.

Justofin said Cabrera and acquaintances came to his home minutes after he left a party where they were. No words were exchanged before Cabrera pulled out a knife and stabbed him, he said.

Cabrera and friends left, but Cabrera came back by himself several minutes later and stabbed him again, he said.

Cabrera's arrest prompted Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta to pitch the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which would punish landlords and employers for doing business with illegal aliens. The ordinance was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge, and the city is appealing the verdict.

To read more about testimony from the victim, read Tuesday's Citizens' Voice.

©The Citizens Voice 2007

http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news. ... 8523&rfi=6

Illegal immigrant formerly charged in killing in court on stabbing charge
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
By BOB KALINOWSKI
Staff Writer
WILKES-BARRE — Damian Justofin took the witness stand and pointed at Pedro Cabrera, fingering Cabrera as the one who twice plunged a knife in his body and left him for dead last year in Hazleton.

Though admitting he was afraid to come forward at first, Justofin said he realized “justice has to be servedâ€