A young man in California’s Central Valley is facing a murder charge after allegedly stabbing his younger brother to death with a large knife, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Jose Miranda Jr., 23, is charged with one count of murder in the death of his 19-year-old brother, Diego Miranda, sheriff’s officials said in a press release.
The killing happened on Monday, Sept. 21, at a home on East Saginaw Avenue in Selma, a small city about 16 miles southwest of Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley.
Deputies responded to the residence around 11 a.m. after a report of an injury and discovered the younger Miranda suffering from several stab wounds. He was declared dead at the scene.
According to a courtroom account from Fresno ABC affiliate KFSN, the attack took place while the brothers’ parents were away dropping off their youngest child at school. When the parents got home later that morning, they walked into a scene of chaos and bloodshed, authorities said.
“When they asked him what happened,” a prosecutor told the court this week, referring to Miranda, “he initially talked about a rabid animal, then tried to claim self-defense.”
Defense attorneys said the stabbing followed some sort of confrontation between the siblings, though prosecutors have not disclosed a motive for the killing.
Investigators did share some specifics about the weapon and the wounds involved. Miranda allegedly used what was described as a “Rambo-style knife” to stab his brother in the abdomen.
In arguing for his client’s release, the defense pointed to Miranda’s role within the family, noting that relatives often depended on him to watch over younger siblings.
“He was working 20 to 30 hours per week prior to this incident,” the defense attorney told the judge. “He additionally takes care of his little brothers because his parents are usually working.”
Prosecutors pushed back hard on that argument, pointing out that the victim himself was one of those younger siblings Miranda supposedly cared for.
“Quite frankly, it’s somewhat of an appalling representation by Mr. Miranda, that he previously has taken care of his little brothers because the decedent victim is one of his brothers,” a prosecutor said in court.
The defense maintained that the violence appeared to be a one-time event and asked the judge to consider supervised release rather than continued detention.
“I think this is an isolated incident,” the defense attorney argued. “We could afford him pretrial services, and anger management, GPS.”
Prosecutors disagreed sharply, telling the judge Miranda posed a serious risk. “I think he is in fact a substantial public safety and flight risk in this case,” the prosecutor said.
The judge ultimately agreed with the prosecution and denied the release request.
“I do find that he does pose a danger to the community and to the rest of his family, if he were to take care of them, based on the facts that the people have proffered to this court,” Superior Court Judge Stephanie Negin said at the hearing.
Miranda remains in custody at the Fresno County Jail, with bail set above $1 million. His next court date is scheduled for Nov. 4.
