Two teenagers have been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old boy during what police believe was an attempted robbery in an English park.
Surrey police said officers were called to a wooded area of Stoke Park in Guildford on the evening of Monday, Jan. 19, after reports of a stabbing. Police said emergency responders — along with members of the public — attempted to save the boy, identified as Luis Gabriel Guembes, but he died at the scene.
Following an investigation, authorities said on Friday, Jan. 23, they charged a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old — who cannot be identified due to their ages — with murder, conspiracy to rob, and possession of a bladed article.
A GoFundMe launched by a family friend described Gabriel as having moved to London from Lima, Peru, with his mother when he was young, “in search of hope, opportunity, and a better future.”
The organizer wrote that Gabriel “was an amazing son and an incredible young soul,” adding that he was “kind, bright, driven, and full of promise.”
“A devoted student, a passionate soccer player, and a loving son, Gabriel had a smile that could light up a room and a heart that touched everyone he met,” the organizer continued. “He was deeply loved and will be forever missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.”
The two boys appeared at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, Jan. 24, the BBC reports.
They did not enter pleas, according to the BBC. The BBC also reported that Judge Catherine Hartley remanded them in custody until their next court date on Feb. 23.
