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A young man identified as Reiler García is reportedly being sought by the police after being named as the alleged perpetrator of a stabbing attack in the La Mosca neighborhood, Camagüey, against another 18-year-old.
According to the report by independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada and the testimonies of family members and neighbors, the incident occurred this Tuesday at the neighborhood gym, where both were present.
The victim, identified as "Yan Carlos," was allegedly smoking a cigarette when, according to witnesses, García became upset, confronted him, and left the scene.
Minutes later, Reiler returned with a knife and stabbed him three times unexpectedly.
“Yan Carlos received three stab wounds, but fortunately none of his vital organs were affected,” confirmed the cited source based on the testimony of relatives.
After the attack, he was successfully operated on and remains hospitalized for recovery.
On social media, Sirelda Fernández Ruiz, the mother of the alleged victim, confirmed that her son was "brutally" attacked.
"I know that some are unaware, Yan was attacked and at this moment we have him in therapy at the Military Hospital, but thank God he is improving," wrote Fernández Ruiz on Facebook.
In another post, the woman called for community cooperation to capture her son's attacker.
After the assault, Reiler García fled the scene. That same Tuesday, police patrols went to his home, but he was not found.
It is suspected that he may be hiding in Havana.
"The family of Yan Carlos is requesting visibility for the case and citizen collaboration, fearing that the assailant might return and cause greater harm, or ultimately evade justice," concluded Tan Estrada in his social media alert.
A Divided Neighborhood: Conflicting Accounts and a Polarized Community
The case has sparked an intense and heated public discussion on social media, particularly in the comments on the original post by journalist Tan Estrada.
The accounts of what happened, and regarding the young people involved, are profoundly divergent.
Some neighbors, like Marina Maelis Torres, support the victim's family's account: "I am a neighbor of Yan Carlos, and everything that has been published is true... Reiler was the instigator of this tragedy. I personally helped lift Yan Carlos into the car to take him to the hospital."
Others, on the other hand, defend the fugitive. Claudia Pérez, for instance, wrote: “It’s sad for those of us who have known you since childhood, and now you appear as the worst criminal... no one has the right to attack, but we also do not know why you did it. You were not a person with bad feelings.”
The tone escalated further during the extensive intervention of the user "Lobo Solitario," who accused the victim's associates of manipulation:
"They want to bring Reiler down by spreading barbaric lies... You can see the advantage wealthy individuals have in undermining a humble young man."
For him, the attack was provoked by "humiliations" and "blackmail" that Reiler would have received.
Others, like Yusdelmi Pérez, also fervently defend Reiler: “Reiler didn't stab anyone... Yan Carlos humiliated him, mocked his deceased mother, blackmailed him... even the noblest can get fed up.”
Two internet users invoked Reiler's orphanhood and emotional deficiencies to understand his possible behavior.
"No one knows the frustration that an orphan lives with," said one.
"Yes, he may have felt envy. We all have someone who guides us when we get home. He doesn't," pointed out another commentator.
In contrast, other voices are decisive: "Not everyone can be wrong; besides, they saw him do it... if he didn't do it, why did he flee?"
At the same time, there are those who remember the need for justice, without relativism.
“He's not a killer,” said Yakima Chávez, “but that doesn't justify what he did.”
Beyond the specific details of the case, the incident has highlighted the state of youth, violence, and the lack of institutional responses.
“This is no longer a country; they should rename it the slaughterhouse of people,” concluded an internet user.
The case has transcended its specific incident and has become a symbol of a fragmented society, where the codes of respect, dignity, and justice seem to be in crisis.
While one family prays for their injured son's recovery, another fears that their loved one will be criminalized without considering the invisible scars that may have marked them since childhood.
The only point on which all comments agree is the seriousness of the situation and the urgency for justice to take action. Whether to protect the victim, punish a crime, or ensure a fair trial.
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