Andrew Hazelton, a 33-year-old African-American man, was fatally stabbed in the early morning hours of August 21, 2016. The incident occurred at the Bleu Martini bar located in the Old City section of Philadelphia, where Hazelton, a resident of Blackwood, New Jersey, was spending an evening out with his group of friends. An argument erupted between Hazelton's party and another group at the venue, which unfortunately escalated into a physical altercation.
During a second confrontation
that evening, Hazelton was stabbed in the neck. Witnesses described a chaotic scene, noting that Hazelton was bleeding profusely after the attack. He was quickly transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention but ultimately succumbed to his severe injuries and was pronounced dead. The sudden and violent nature of the event left friends and family in shock.
Following an investigation into the homicide, authorities identified Carlos Perez as a person of interest involved in the altercation. Perez was subsequently arrested and faced charges of first-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime. However, the legal proceedings against him did not result in a conviction. The charges were ultimately dismissed on two separate occasions due to what was deemed insufficient evidence by the Philadelphia courts. Key witnesses, including bouncers at the bar, were unable to testify that they had seen Perez with a weapon. Lacking direct evidence definitively linking Perez to the stabbing, the case against him could not proceed, and the death of Andrew Hazelton remains unsolved.
