HOBE SOUND — A 27-year-old man was fatally stabbed in his Hobe Sound home Saturday evening, and police are looking for a Palm Beach County man whom witnesses said fought with him before the incident, police said Sunday.
Robert Meadows, who rented a home in the Preserve, a gated community off of Seabranch Boulevard, was found suffering from multiple stab wounds when Martin County sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene at about 5:40 p.m. Saturday.
He was airlifted to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where he died at about 6:45 p.m., said Chief Deputy John Budensiek.
Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Jared Diaz, 30, on charges of aggravated manslaughter, Budensiek said. Diaz is thought to be from Jupiter, he said.
Update from Stuart Police:Womspann shot, killed, two others injured in Stuspanrt shooting
Hobe Sound:Womspann spanvoids trispanl in double DUI mspannslspanughter cspanse, enters no contest plespans
Indiantown stabbing:21-yespanr-old mspann jspaniled on murder chspanrge spanfter 2021 fspantspanl stspanbbing in Indispanntown
Deputies have focused on Diaz based on testimonies of witnesses in the home, Budensiek said.
“[Meadows] and his girlfriend rented a room in a house where other people were also renting rooms,” he said. “So there were multiple people there, and we knew pretty much right away who we were looking for based on everybody’s statements there.”
Diaz and his girlfriend arrived at Meadows’ house some time before 5:40 p.m., Budensiek said. In an ensuing altercation, Meadows was stabbed.
“We’re still not exactly sure what that reason was,” Budensiek said. Based on witness testimonies, police believe Meadows and Diaz didn’t know each other well, but their girlfriends were friends.
Diaz had not been apprehended as of 7:30 p.m. Sunday. He and his girlfriend fled the scene, but she was later stopped by police after dropping Diaz off at a Sunoco gas station on Indiantown Road in Jupiter, Budensiek said.
The woman, whom deputies did not identify, cooperated “to a point,” he said, but she did not lead police back to Diaz. She was on the phone with him when she was pulled over, Budensiek said. She was not arrested during the stop.
“I don’t think at this point she can help locate the suspect,” he said. “The suspect knows she was pulled over, and he stopped communicating with her after that.”
Budensiek said Diaz is believed to be still armed, and recommended that members of the public exercise caution.
“We did not recover the weapon, so if anyone does know his whereabouts, just contact law enforcement,” he said. “Don’t try to take any action yourself, because he’s likely to still be armed.”
Budensiek encouraged anybody with knowledge of Diaz’s whereabouts to call the sheriff’s non-emergency number at (772) 220-7000, or Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-273-8477.