A killer remains on the run after a violent fatal stabbing outside a busy Mexican restaurant in Sydney – which police say was a ‘targeted’ attack.
A 32-year-old man was fatally stabbed to death outside the Guzman y Gomez store in Marrickville, in Sydney’s inner-west at about 7.40pm on Monday, after having dinner with his family.
Police and distressed family members rushed to the scene, where first aid was provided, but the man was unable to be saved.
Witnesses heard the ‘heartbreaking’ cries of the man’s mother, while his brother rushed to lift the sheet covering the body.
Police held back the distraught man who was heard screaming: ‘He’s my f***ing brother, don’t touch me.’
The brother was restrained by police and a taser was drawn but not deployed.
‘He was so emotional but there was no need for such aggression,’ a witness said.
The victim was known to police but his attacker remains on the run. It’s understood the two men met at the restaurant before the 32-year-old was stabbed.
A man was fatally stabbed outside Guzman Y Gomez in Marrickville, in Sydney’s inner west
The dead man’s brother was restrained by police as he tried to lift the sheet off the body
The distraught man was heard screaming ‘he’s my brother’
Guzman y Gomez was initially taped off and a major crime scene set up but it reopened on Tuesday with business returning as usual.
Superintendent Ben Kennis said police believe the ‘two people met, and the attack was somewhat targeted’.
‘It was not random in nature,’ he said. ‘It’s too early to say if they had arranged it … it was clear that they did know each other.’
He said it was a ‘highly emotive crime scene’.
‘A male did breach the crime scene and had to be restrained by the police.’
Other distressed relatives were heard wailing as police searched the surrounding scene with flashlights searching for evidence, and interviewed nearby shopkeepers.
The dead man’s relatives were moved on by police before the scene was cordoned off.
Superintendent Kennis did not comment on the man’s injuries but said they were inflicted with a ‘sharp instrument’.
‘I don’t know whether it was a knife… I know it was a sharp instrument given the injuries,’ he said.
Police were deployed outside the Guzman y Gomez on Tuesday morning
Superintendent Kennis labelled the incident as ‘confronting’ but said Marrickville residents can ‘rest assured’ as the attack was targeted
Police established a crime scene and closed several streets in the inner-city suburb
‘I cannot say with any certainty what weapon used was. A large and continuing crime scene is being examined today.’
Superintendent Kennis appealed to the public for help in identifying the unknown attacker who was last seen running down Silver Street in Marrickville.
‘I urge anyone with dash cam, CCTV, mobile phone footage to please come forward to the police or call Crime Stoppers … or contact the detectives at Marrickville police station,’ Superintendent Kennis said.
‘Witnesses and CCTV evidence that we have have gathered does depict a person that we believe may be able to assist our enquiries.’
Superintendent Kennis labelled the incident as ‘confronting’ but said Marrickville residents can ‘rest assured’ as the attack was targeted.
‘This is 7.40pm peak dinner time on Marrickville Road, lots of restaurants, lots of businesses… to have this happen on Marrickville Road, or anywhere, is unacceptable,’ he said.
‘The community can rest assured that, as I said before, those two people met up and it was targeted. It was not a random attack on Marrickville Road’.
One witness, named Karen, who was shopping at the nearby Woolworths, said she saw paramedics and police trying to revive the man but after five minutes he ‘passed away’.
Police search a bin at the scene of the crime
One witness, named Karen (pictured), said she shocked by the violence as Australia is known as being a ‘safe country’
‘It makes me so sad because I am from overseas and I know that this country is so safe,’ Karen said.
‘To be honest I did not expect these kinds of things to happen in this country. It makes me feel sad, and sad for the guy.’
Locals expressed their shock at such a horrific crime happening in their neighbourhood.
‘Blood everywhere,’ one wrote.
‘I saw cop cars coming from everywhere,’ another said.
