Crime & Safety

Police: Suspect in Gaithersburg Double-Stabbing Claimed He Was a Victim

Police are offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case of a stabbing outside a Gaithersburg restaurant last year.

UPDATED---A man who claimed to be a victim of a stabbing that sent two people to the hospital last year might have actually been involved with the stabbing, Gaithersburg police allege.

Now, police are offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. 

A warrant has been issued for Santos Orellana-Juarez on charges of first- and second-degree assault and conspiracy to commit assault, according to Officer Dan Lane, a police spokesman.

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Police released Orellana-Juarez's name and photo on Friday.

Lane said the stabbing was tied to an argument among drinking buddies that escalated to a stabbing in the parking lot outside Mi Pueblitos Restaurant, 6 N. Summit Ave., on Dec. 16, 2012.

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At around 2 a.m., a patrol officer in the 200 block of East Diamond Avenue was flagged down by a person who claimed he was stabbed by a group of people. Shortly after, there was a second dispatch for a person stabbed near Brookes and Park Avenues.

Police allege that Orellana-Juarez also claimed to be a victim, but Lane said new information suggests he may have actually been involved in the stabbing.

One person had already been arrested in connection with the incident, Lane said. 

Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Gaithersburg police at 301-258-6400. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or the Gaithersburg Police Tip Line at 301-330-4471. Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided that leads to an arrest or indictment.

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Editor's note: This story has been updated since it was originally published to include new information about a warrant for the suspect's arrest. 


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