Family of stabbed teen says he was helping friends when he was killed: 'He was a really good friend'

TAMPA, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a 19-year-old was stabbed and killed last weekend.

Arnold Gutierrez was killed Sunday at the Northgreen at the Carrollwood Apartments on Northgreen Avenue.

FOX 13 spoke with the victim's grieving family, who said the teen went to help friends in need when the stabbing happened.

“He was a really good friend,” Virginia Rosa said.

Rosa said that in addition to his friendships, her son also had a passion for fishing. She said Arnold's friends always knew their house was a safe place for them to stay.

“They knew they had a home to sleep in at night, he would bring his friends,” Rosa said.

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His big sister Elena said it was that loyalty that brought him to the apartment complex early Sunday morning.

According to investigators, there was an altercation between Arnold and suspect Michael Aldana.

Michael Aldana's mugshot. (Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office).

His sister Elena said there was more than that. She said he was at home sleeping around 1 a.m. when a friend called him asking for help. The friend said he and a 16-year-old girl were unsafe at suspect Michael Aldana's apartment.

“He could have called the police and the police would have been involved from the jump. Of course, I really believe he would still be alive if they had called the police in the first place. But my brother, just trying to be a good friend.” “He went there,” she said.

She said that after they helped his friends get out of the apartment safely, Arnold was allegedly stabbed by Aldana as he tried to get into the car.

Hillsborough County deputies say 19-year-old Arnold Gutierrez was stabbed to death Sunday at an apartment complex in Carrollwood.

At the hospital, his mother said she learned her son had been stabbed multiple times. She couldn't see her son's body.

“We were not prepared to the extent that a 19-year-old would be murdered,” Elena said.

The family said that not only are they grieving an unexpected loss, but they are also now facing unexpected funeral costs.

“We haven’t even confirmed a funeral home or cemetery yet. It’s all up in the air,” she said.

The family of 19-year-old Arnold Gutierrez is mourning his death after he was stabbed and killed at an apartment complex in Hillsborough County last weekend. (Courtesy of Elena Saggioro)

Despite her own pain, Arnold's mother gave a meaningful gift by donating his eyes to help someone else regain their sight.

“They told me someone needed eyes. I wanted to say no, but I want to see those eyes again. And I will know that these are my son's eyes,” she said.

As the investigation continues, they want to ensure that everyone involved in his death is held accountable.

Aldana is charged with first-degree murder.

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