Family and friends remember victim of S. Congress fatal stabbing

AUSTIN, Texas - Dozens of Johnathan Aguilar’s family, friends and Freebirds World Burrito co-workers gathered at his childhood home in East Austin to memorialize him. The crowd held candles while family members shared stories and kind words about Aguilar.

"He was the quiet one I would see him and I would go how you doing? And he’d say I'm doing fine,” said Aguilar’s uncle Esteban Aguilar Jr. “That's just the way he was, he had a gentle soul."

Aguilar was killed on Friday during a violent attack in a shopping center on South Congress. He was 34 years old. Police responded to a disturbance at Bennu Coffee Shop when police arrived the suspect was detained by people inside the shop. Police report the suspect getting loose during a struggle to arrest him. The suspect ran a couple of stores down and entered Freebirds. The suspect stabbed Aguilar and a co-worker. The coworker was taken to the hospital, but Aguilar died on scene and the suspect injured himself by jumping off the roof.

During the vigil, a cousin of Aguilar said they needed justice for Johnathan. The suspect’s identity has not been released, last reported he was in critical condition.

Aguiar leaves behind a son and a fiancé. The family has shared a Gofundme account to raise money to keep them afloat. 

In the Gofundme a family member of Aguilar, Kristina Manchaca writes, “Yesterday we lost an amazing son brother & uncle Johnathan's life was cut short due too a crazy act of hate. “