Inset: Jose Miranda Jr. (Fresno County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The area near the Selma, California, location where Miranda allegedly fatally stabbed his brother (Google Maps).
A 23-year-old California man is facing a murder charge after authorities say he used a large knife to kill his younger brother.
Jose Miranda Jr. was arrested in connection with the death of 19-year-old Diego Miranda, according to a press release from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
The alleged stabbing happened Monday, Sept. 21, inside a home on East Saginaw Avenue in Selma, a Central San Joaquin Valley city about 16 miles southwest of Fresno.
Deputies were called to the residence at approximately 11 a.m. following a report of an injured person. They found Diego Miranda with several stab wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to details presented during a court hearing and reported by Fresno ABC affiliate KFSN, the attack took place while the brothers’ parents were out taking their youngest child to school.
When the parents returned later that morning, investigators said they encountered a chaotic and bloody scene inside their home.
A prosecutor told the court that Miranda initially blamed what happened on a “rabid animal” when his parents questioned him. He later allegedly claimed he had acted in self-defense.
Defense attorneys maintained that the stabbing followed a confrontation between the brothers. Prosecutors have not disclosed what they believe sparked the dispute.
Prosecutors did provide an account of the weapon and injuries, saying Miranda allegedly stabbed his brother in the abdomen with what they described as a “Rambo-style knife.”
During the hearing, Miranda’s attorney asked that he be released, partly arguing that the family regularly depended on him to care for the younger children.
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“He was working 20 to 30 hours per week prior to this incident,” the defense attorney said. “He additionally takes care of his little brothers because his parents are usually working.”
Prosecutors rejected that argument, pointing out that the teenager killed in the case was also one of Miranda’s younger brothers.
“Quite frankly, it’s somewhat of an appalling representation by Mr. Miranda, that he previously has taken care of his little brothers because the decedent victim is one of his brothers,” the prosecutor told the court.
The defense also characterized the alleged killing as an isolated act and sought a supervised release plan that would include strict monitoring.
“I think this is an isolated incident,” the attorney said, proposing pretrial supervision, anger-management treatment and GPS monitoring.
The prosecution remained opposed to releasing Miranda while the case moves forward.
“I think he is in fact a substantial public safety and flight risk in this case,” the prosecutor argued.
The judge ultimately denied the defense request and ordered Miranda to remain in custody.
Superior Court Judge Stephanie Negin said the evidence presented indicated that Miranda posed a danger to the community and to his family if he were allowed to return to a caregiving role. “I do find that he does pose a danger to the community and to the rest of his family,” she ruled at the hearing.
The defendant will remain detained in the Fresno County Jail with bail set at over $1 million. He is next slated to appear in court on Nov. 4.
