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Neighbors describe suspect in attempted homicide

Cape Coral murder suspect
Posted at 11:11 AM, Jun 22, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-22 21:11:50-04

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The Cape Coral Police Department is looking for a man suspected in an attempted homicide.

Neighbors living on NE 15th Place tell us they've seen Nieves around a home in Cape Coral where a woman was stabbed this morning.

Detectives with CCPD walked in and out of the home all day Monday, investigating what happened inside. Stephanie Blocker lives a few houses down and ran outside to see what was going on.

“I thought someone had gotten shot. That’s what I thought it was,” she said after she heard a loud like fireworks.

Another neighbor told Fox 4 the woman living in this house was stabbed 17 times by the father of her children.

The suspect is Juan Kendrick Nieves, 47, 5’8” 185 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Nieves was last seen driving a red 2018 Chrysler Pacifica bearing Florida tag 6999VC.

Cape Police say he is wanted in an attempted homicide investigation and is considered armed and dangerous.

Blocker had seen the victim outside with her kids just hours before the stabbing.

“Before it got dark, maybe around 8. They usually sit on the front stoop and do bubbles or sidewalk chalk.>

Another neighbor, Mark Decelle says he saw what led up to the stabbing.

“I noticed a gentleman in the driveway, seemingly engage verbally with a woman, and her children were around her in the doorway. It was a confrontational type posture,” he said.

Decelle said he saw Nieves yelling at the victim.

“I didn't know if it was more than just a couple people yelling at each other, or if there might be the potential for something more serious,” he said.

And Blocker doesn’t think this was Nieves’ first run in with the law.

“I’ve seen probation officers or something come by when the dad was there,” she said.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s website, he was arrested and released in march for domestic violence and violating a protection order.

Anyone with information on Nieves or his whereabouts is asked to please contact the Cape Coral Police Department at (239) 574-3223 or 911.

If you or anyone you know needs help with domestic violence, you can call the Florida Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-500-1119. The national line is 1-800-799-7233.