Maryland man convicted of stabbing ex-girlfriend’s male friend to death

SILVER SPRING, Md. (TCD) -- A 23-year-old man was convicted of second-degree murder Wednesday for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend’s friend on June 14, 2020.

Montgomery Community Media reports Denzel Kasaka of Silver Spring faces up to 40 years in prison for killing 20-year-old Jose Ruiz. The day of Ruiz’s death, Kasaka was allegedly stalking his ex-girlfriend Lucya Ramirez on Instagram. According to WDVM-TV, Kasaka sent Ruiz and Ramirez threatening statements via Instagram before following them to Ruiz’s Silver Spring home.

Montgomery Community Media, citing court documents, reports that on June 14, 2020, Ramirez and Ruiz drove to Ruiz’s townhouse on Avonshire Drive in Silver Spring. Ramirez reportedly saw that Kasaka was in the area and "believed he had followed them back to Ruiz' house."

Kasaka circled around the area in his Audi before confronting Ramirez and Ruiz, Montgomery Community Media reports. In surveillance video obtained by the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, Kasaka was seen getting out of his car and advancing toward Ramirez and Ruiz. Ruiz and Kasaka began fighting as Ramirez attempted to break it off. Following the fight, Kasaka reportedly ran back to his car and exited with a knife before stabbing Ruiz to death.

According to a Montgomery County Department of Police press release, on June 14 at around 11:46 p.m., authorities responded to a call about an unconscious man bleeding in a parking lot on the 13700 block of Avonshire Drive.

When they arrived at the scene, Ramirez was reportedly found in the passenger seat of the car screaming and covered in blood and Ruiz was found unconscious with stab wounds. Montgomery Community Media cites court documents, "One wound was directly to the heart. He was bleeding profusely."

Ruiz was brought to the hospital before passing away, Montgomery County Police say. 

On June 16, two days after fleeing, Kasaka reportedly turned himself in. The Montgomery County Department of Police said Kasaka was initially arrested on the "strength of an arrest warrant charging him with first-degree murder."  He will be sentenced Feb. 18.

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