Nearly two months after the killing, DeWitt’s family said the arrest is bringing both relief and renewed pain.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 19-year-old man accused in a deadly stabbing in downtown Sacramento is behind bars, the Sacramento Police Department said.

Sacramento police announced it arrested Humberto Palacios this week on homicide related charges in connection with a stabbing in early March near Golden 1 Center. The attack left 21-year-old Dustin DeWitt dead and a woman injured.

Nearly two months after the killing, DeWitt’s family said the arrest is bringing them both relief and renewed pain.

“The past two months has been a struggle for our family. We honestly feel broken,” Dean McLain, DeWitt’s stepfather, said.

“I am just so broken and just so shattered,” Sokha Hem, DeWitt’s mother, said.

For Hem, the arrest comes after weeks of grief and uncertainty.

“I do feel a little sense of relief this morning, it’s just been roller-coaster of emotion. It has been hell,” Hem said.

Since her son’s death, Hem said daily life has been filled with reminders of what was lost.

“Have to cancel his accounts. it’s like canceling his life, canceling his plans, his dreams, his future,” Hem said.

DeWitt’s family described a life that once included school, work and plans to become a flight attendant. They said his absence remains constant, with his room untouched since his death.

“This is my baby, he’s my baby. Who does that? I guess it’s just not fair, it’s just not fair,” Hem said.

For McLain, the arrest marks a shift, but not an end.

“And so for the first time in a long time, um the sky was a little bit brighter today,” he said. “This is the first step in getting justice.”

Family members said they are still searching for answers as investigators continue to piece together what led to the stabbing.

“No one deserved to be stabbed and killed just because of differences in words,” Hem said.

The family said they are grateful for support from the community and law enforcement as the case moves forward.

Police said the circumstances surrounding the stabbing remain under investigation.

Palacios is being held without bail at the Sacramento County Main Jail and is expected to make his first court appearance April 24th.

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