An Oakland man has been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a 19-year-old whose family is trying to raise money to send his body back to Guatemala.
Ottoniel Sales Garcia was taken into custody with the assistance of U.S. Marshals, Oakland police said Friday night on social media, without giving details.
Aldon Rochel Mata Cardona was fatally stabbed about 6:45 p.m. on May 23 in the 1700 block of East 19th Street, police said.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office on Friday said it filed charges of murder and assault with a deadly weapon against Garcia.
A family friend on May 27 created a GoFundMe page to help raise money to send Cardona’s body home for burial.
According to the web page, Cardona moved to Oakland in 2023, lived with his older brother and uncle, and attended Oakland International High School.
He quit school to go to work in order to help support his mother, who suffered a stroke more than six years ago, according to the post, which described him as a “humble, respectful, and hardworking young man.”
“He always cared deeply about his family and wanted a better future for them,” according to the post. “Sadly, his dreams were cut short too soon.”
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