A Texas man was killed after he tried to step in and calm down a fight outside an event center, police said.
The Victim
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old Mario Saldana of New Braunfels. His wife, Rosanna Perez, told reporters that the couple was at the El Flaco Event Center just after midnight on Sunday when they saw a fight break out in the parking lot.
She said she urged her husband to leave, but Mario responded:
“No, let me go tell these people to calm down, they need to stop.”
Moments later, Mario was stabbed multiple times in the chest and back while trying to intervene.
The Attack
According to police, the suspect is 55-year-old David Saldana (no relation to the victim). Witnesses said he stabbed Mario during the fight.
Police arrived around 12:10 a.m. to reports of a “large disturbance” involving multiple people. Paramedics treated Mario at the scene before rushing him to San Antonio Military Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The Arrest
Investigators identified David Saldana as the suspect after speaking with witnesses. He was later arrested at a home in New Braunfels without incident.
David has been charged with murder and booked into the Comal County Jail on a $500,000 bond. Authorities said more arrests could follow as the investigation continues.
Family’s Grief
Perez told local media her husband only wanted to help:
“He tried to separate people, and I guess they got angry. This was something that didn’t need to happen.”
Mario’s family is now raising money for funeral expenses through a GoFundMe page and a neighborhood plate sale. Perez described her husband as the family’s sole provider.
What began as an attempt to stop a fight turned into a tragedy for the Saldana family. As police move forward with the murder case, loved ones remember Mario as a man who stepped in to protect others, only to lose his own life in the process.
