Jose Amaya Guardado: Family Grieves Bullied Teen’s Death After Police Announced Machete Hack Was Premeditated

Jose Amaya Guardado relocated to the United States with his family for one reason — his mother wanted to protect him from the violence currently plaguing El Salvador. But, unfortunately, nothing could save him from the sufferance of a pre-determined fate because the unthinkable happened when they moved to Florida. In addition to mourning the loss of a son, his parents are also grieving because of the details that have been released about his death.

According to the New York Daily News, the 17-year-old who was enrolled in the Homestead Job Corps school and vocational program was brutally beaten to death by four classmates who have been identified as Kaheem Arbelo, 20; Jonathan Lucas, 18; Christian Colon, 19; and Desiray Strickland, 18. However, the Miami-Dade Police Department is expected to arrest a fifth suspect as well. The investigative report details the teen’s gruesome death, which has been described as a “machete attack.” News reports have also revealed that the suspects reportedly planned the attack as far as two weeks in advance, reports the Guardian.

According to the investigative report, Guardado was forced to lie in a shallow grave that the teens have reportedly dug a few days before the murder was carried out.

“The victim made one last attempt to fight off the attackers,” the detective wrote, “at which time, [Arbelo] struck the victim with the machete several more times until the victim’s face caved in.”

After the attack, the suspects buried Guardado in the grave they’d dug. However, Strickland and Arbelo didn’t leave immediately after the gruesome attack. It has been reported that they actually had sex near the scene of the murder.

It has been reported that the four suspects have been charged with second-degree murder. Needless to say, his family is completely devastated. The slain teen’s mother, Lucia Guardado, recently spoke publicly about her son’s death.

Jose Amaya Guardado, 17, was a shy boy who helped his parents on weekends. http://t.co/9JNuGG1PTr

— Rodney Whack (@BigYoung71) August 20, 2015

Although she worked hard to protect him from senseless violence, he still became a victim of it.

“I brought my son from there because they were killing people,” Lucia Guardado said in Spanish at the family’s south Miami-Dade home. “I never imagined they would do something like that to my son here.”

Guardado’s death has raised many questions because a number of readers have expressed concerns about the second-degree murder charge. If they reportedly planned the attack, they should face first-degree murder charges, and many are wondering why they are not. Although the investigation is still in the preliminary stages, the premeditation determination has reportedly been confirmed. Needless to say, the charges have sparked quite a debate online.

It is still unclear whether the charges will be upgraded to first-degree murder.

[Image(s) Miami Dade Police Department]