Sniffling man at taco stand gets 20 years for killing stranger over cocaine joke

A 26-year-old man who fatally stabbed a stranger last year who had jokingly accused of him of snorting cocaine because he had the sniffles, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Juan Ruben Gallegos pleaded guilty last Wednesday to murder. As part of a plea bargain with prosecutors, he was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison, court records show.

Gallegos had been in line at the walk-up window of El Mil Tacos restaurant at 4117 Hemphill Street on the night of Oct. 22 when two brothers, Marco and Jesus Cabrera, made the cocaine joke at the sniffling man, prompting an argument.

Witnesses told police Gallegos received his food, took it to his car where his wife and 1-year-old son were waiting, then returned to where the two brothers were standing.

He punched Jesus Cabrera in the face and then stabbed Marco Cabrera in the neck with a pocketknife when he tried to come to his brother’s aid.

Marco Cabrera died four days later at John Peter Smith Hospital from his injury.

Gallegos left the scene but was tracked down after officers broadcast a description of his car.

He told homicide investigators that the two brothers had followed him to his car so he pulled out a knife and challenged them in Spanish to a fight. He said he stabbed Marco in self-defense after the man had punched him.

A police affidavit, however, states that video surveillance footage was consistent with the other witnesses’ accounts, not Gallegos’.

“Based on the evidence learned during this investigation and the surveillance footage obtained, at no point was Juan Gallegos’ life in danger, and [he] was not justified in producing a deadly weapon,” homicide Detective Jerry Cedillo wrote in the affidavit. “Juan Gallegos had every opportunity to walk away and furthermore he had an opportunity to drive away, but chose not to.”

Alejandro Cabrera, Marco Cabrera’s brother, said he worked with his brother installing gas lines during the week and sometimes mowed lawns on weekends for extra work.

“We would go (on weekends) to do other jobs or we’ll get together to barbecue,” Alejandro Cabrera said.

He called the sentence his brother’s killer received “very little.”

“I don’t think it was fair that he was given only 20 years in prison,” said Alejandro Cabrera, Marco’s brother. “... He (Gallegos) killed a person. He didn’t kill an animal. All our family already suffered, my parents, my brothers.”

Gallegos remains in the Tarrant Jail awaiting transfer to prison.

Juan Ramos contributed to this report.

This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Sniffling man at taco stand gets 20 years for killing stranger over cocaine joke."