Aug 25, 2009

Man Stabbed Friend Over Cigarettes

A teen is accused of fatally stabbing his childhood friend during an argument over a pack of cigarettes.
According to the arrest warrant, 19-year-old Justin Savage and his two friends picked up Stephen Soboleski, 19, at his home midday Sunday. The group drove around Waterbury before ending up in a parking lot on Taft Point, police said.
When one of the friends went inside an apartment, police said an argument broke out between Savage and Soboleski. Police said Soboleski told police that he grabbed Savage's cigarettes and wouldn't give them back. He then said that Savage threatened him with a fold-out knife, according to the arrest warrant.
"At some point during this fight, I got cut by the knife and that really pissed me off. This was when I grabbed him by the throat and started choking him. I was choking him with my left hand and I was trying to take the knife from him with my right hand. I was so pissed off at the moment that I took the knife and reached over toward Justin and just stabbed him in the chest. When I did it, I knew it went deep because a second later there was blood pouring out from his chest," Soboleski told police, according to the warrant.
Police said Soboleski and one of his friends drove Savage to Waterbury Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Soboleski was arraigned on murder charges in Waterbury Superior Court on Monday.
Minutes after seeing his only child walk into court, Soboleski's father Russell Sullivant fought to keep back the tears.
"My kid's not a murderer," he said. "When I found out it was Justin, it's his friend, I was shocked."
Friends of both Savage and Soboleski said the two have been friends since elementary school.
Soboleski remains held on a $1 million bond.

No comments:

Post a Comment