A trial that promised weeks of courtroom drama in Montreal will now never see a jury. Uriel Pepin Rojas, 23, unexpectedly pleaded guilty to manslaughter, confessing to the fatal stabbing that ended the life of 23-year-old Liam Angelo Rodriguez.
The tragedy unfolded on October 1, 2023, within the confines of a fifth-floor apartment in the St-Laurent borough. What began as a confrontation over a relationship spiraled into a brutal knife fight, leaving Rodriguez dead at the scene.
The story began with a relationship between Pepin Rojas and a woman that started earlier in 2023. Despite his belief that they were still together, she had made the difficult decision to end things, overwhelmed by his persistent attempts to contact her.
She had begun to see Rodriguez, and he was visiting her apartment when Pepin Rojas arrived uninvited. The building’s unlocked lobby allowed him easy access, a detail that would prove devastating.
Pepin Rojas forced his way into the apartment, wedging his foot in the door as the woman opened it. Mistaking his arrival for her landlord, she was quickly confronted with a far more dangerous situation.
Grabbing a kitchen knife for protection, the woman repeatedly demanded he leave, her cries echoing through the building. But Pepin Rojas escalated the tension, pulling out his phone and filming the confrontation.
The act of filming ignited a violent struggle. Rodriguez snatched the phone and threw it down, and a physical fight erupted between the two men. The conflict quickly turned deadly as both sought weapons.
Pepin Rojas retrieved another knife from the kitchen and turned toward Rodriguez, who was already armed with a pocket knife. Rodriguez struck first, stabbing Pepin Rojas before being fatally wounded himself.
Police arriving at the scene found a horrific tableau of blood throughout the apartment. An autopsy revealed Rodriguez had suffered ten stab wounds, including defensive wounds on his hands, a testament to the desperate fight for his life.
Pepin Rojas himself required days of hospitalization following his arrest. Now, with the guilty plea entered, the focus shifts to sentencing, a decision that proved too contentious for prosecutors and the defense to reach an agreement on.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for January, leaving a community to grapple with the senseless loss of life and the devastating consequences of a relationship gone tragically wrong.
