On the evening of July 29, 2025, the bustling streets near the Paso Del Norte international bridge in Downtown El Paso were disrupted by a violent altercation that would end in tragedy. According to El Paso Times, 46-year-old Rigoberto Cortes, a father and grandfather, was fatally stabbed after a heated argument with a man he knew—Oscar Octavio Ortiz, 23. The incident, which unfolded in a neighborhood known for its close-knit community, has left residents reeling and authorities piecing together the chain of events that led to the deadly confrontation.
The story began earlier that night in the historic Chihuahuita neighborhood, where police patrol officers from the Metro Unit responded to reports of a man brandishing a large knife in the 400 block of Charles Road. According to court documents, a man told officers he had been cut in the arm by someone later identified as Cortes, though details about this initial altercation remain unclear.
While officers searched the area, a passerby flagged them down to report a man lying on the ground at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and South Mesa Street. There, police found Cortes suffering from multiple stab wounds to his abdomen. Despite being rushed to University Medical Center of El Paso, he succumbed to his injuries, as confirmed by El Paso Times. The sense of shock was palpable, not only because of the violence itself but also because of the personal nature of the attack—witnesses and security footage indicated that Ortiz and Cortes knew each other and had argued earlier that day.
Security camera footage and witness statements played a crucial role in unraveling the events. Video evidence showed Ortiz and Cortes engaged in a physical altercation at an apartment complex in the 900 block of Chihuahua Street. Residents recalled seeing the two men entering and exiting the apartment, which sometimes served as a place for Ortiz to stay overnight. The reason for their argument remains undisclosed, but the tension escalated quickly.
As the investigation progressed, detectives discovered that Cortes had left the apartment complex on a black bicycle with pink camouflage. Not long after, security footage captured him arriving in the alley behind the Sin Fronteras border farmworkers center at 201 E. Ninth Ave., on the east side of the Paso Del Norte port of entry. Two minutes later, Ortiz appeared in the alley, sneaking up behind Cortes and striking him in the head—an attack that spiraled into a fistfight. Ortiz was then seen picking up an object from the ground before chasing Cortes off camera.
One witness described the harrowing scene to investigators: Ortiz arrived and shouted, "I found you," before launching into the attack. As Cortes tried to escape, he ran into the front of a parked car, only to be caught by Ortiz, who was wielding a bladed weapon. The witness recounted Ortiz stabbing and slashing Cortes as he bled profusely, with Ortiz allegedly yelling, "I hope you die!" along with other profanities. The witness recognized Ortiz by his distinctive tattoo of red boxing gloves on his neck, a detail that would later help confirm his identity.
After the stabbing, Ortiz was seen on security video crossing into Mexico through the pedestrian lane of the Stanton international bridge at 8:50 p.m., just moments after the attack. Before leaving the country, Ortiz disposed of a trash bag in a dumpster. The next day, detectives recovered the bag and found a kitchen knife smeared with blood, a key piece of evidence in the case.
The investigation took a decisive turn two days later when police learned from a witness that Ortiz had confessed to his mother about the killing. On July 31, Ortiz returned to the United States via the Paso Del Norte Bridge, where he was promptly taken into custody by border authorities. Ortiz is currently being held on a $1 million bond at the El Paso County jail, with no public defense attorney named in court documents. His bond hearing, originally scheduled for the week of August 4, was waived, El Paso Times reported.
Meanwhile, across the country in New London, Connecticut, another violent incident was unfolding—one that would also end in death, though under markedly different circumstances. On the night of July 7, 2025, officers responded to an emergency call at Briarcliff Manor, an assisted living facility at 179 Colman St. There, they found 42-year-old Lance Allen unresponsive and suffering from severe facial trauma. The apartment, according to WTNH and NBC Connecticut, was in disarray: a broken entertainment stand, a knocked-over TV, and bloodlike substances on several surfaces told the story of a violent struggle.
Allen was rushed to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in critical condition, but despite medical efforts, he died from his injuries on August 8, 2025. Police quickly identified Matthew Ellis, 28, as the primary suspect. Ellis, along with an unidentified woman—both covered in blood—was present at the scene when officers arrived. The two appeared highly distressed and emotional, according to the arrest warrant obtained by News Times.
Authorities noted that the attack on Allen appeared to be targeted. In his initial statement, Ellis claimed Allen had "drank too much" and "fell and hit his head," but the physical evidence contradicted this account. The woman, for her part, told police she did not know what happened but insisted that Allen "was not assaulted, and did not hit his head on anything," as stated in the arrest warrant. The conflicting stories, combined with the physical evidence, led police to charge Ellis with first-degree assault on August 4, 2025. As of now, it remains unclear whether additional charges will be filed in light of Allen's death. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to piece together the events leading up to the fatal incident.
Both cases—one in the border city of El Paso, the other in a quiet Connecticut town—underscore the unpredictable and deeply personal nature of violent crime. In El Paso, the confrontation between Ortiz and Cortes was marked by prior acquaintance, escalating arguments, and a dramatic flight across the border. In New London, the circumstances remain murkier, with conflicting accounts and a scene that bore unmistakable signs of a struggle. In both instances, families and communities are left searching for answers and mourning the loss of life.
As authorities in both cities continue their investigations, the hope is that justice will be served and that the lessons learned from these tragedies will help prevent similar incidents in the future.
