Trial date set for woman charged in connection with fatal FOP lodge stabbing

Three indicted men remain fugitives, and a reward of $2,500 is offered for information on their whereabouts.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

HAMILTON — The case of a woman charged in connection with a fatal stabbing at a teen girl’s quinceañera will go to trial this summer.

Sara Elena Rodriguez-Remigio, 46, was indicted last week for tampering with evidence and obstructing justice, both felonies, in the deadly stabbing at the FOP Lodge in Hamilton in early May. Today, she was arraigned in Butler County Common Pleas Court where Judge Keith Spaeth increased her bond to $155,000. She is also being held on a holder for ICE.

Detectives say Rodriguez-Remigio hid the knife believed to be the murder weapon.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Defense attorney Bill Abdullah entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf and declined to waive her right to a speedy trial, meaning the trial must be take place in 90 days. Spaeth set trial for July 18.

Juan Antonio Hidalgo-Flores, 39; Oscar Daniel Flores-Lara,19 and Luis Eduardo Hidalgo-Flores, 18 were each indicted last week for murder, attempted murder and several counts of felonious assault for the stabbing death of 20-year-old Ivan Isreal Diaz and the assault of three others.

Hamilton Police are still searching for the trio and a $2,500 reward is offered for information that results in the arrest of each of the men.

“We have engaged with not only local but federal partners including homeland security and the U.S. Marshals service,” Hamilton Police Chief Craig Bucheit said, noting at least one of the men has contacts in Mexico. “We are considering all possibilities. We do have some leads and we are pursuing those leads.”

Evidence points to one person stabbing all four victims and one firing a gun in the building, but all the suspects are complicit in the act that resulted in Diaz’ death, detectives said. Another person fired a gun in the building, but no one was hit.

The indictment is 10 pages long and contains 53 felony counts for all of the suspects. Prosecutors say Oscar Flores is the person who stabbed all four people and the other two were complicit to all the crimes.

The surviving victims ― Adan Edgardo Segoviano Hernandez, 21, of Hamilton; Joaquin Tovar, 56, of Hamilton; and Jerson Estrada Medrano, 21, of Hamilton ― were treated for severe lacerations which were not life-threatening, police said.

The stabbing incident that happened at FOP Lodge 38 on Joe Nuxhall Way on May 7 initially was reported to police as a shooting. Hamilton and Fairfield police officers and the Hamilton Fire Department were dispatched to the lodge where the quinceañera was taking place — that is a traditional birthday party on a girl’s 15th birthday celebrated among Mexican and Latinx communities and families.

Some uninvited guests arrived at the party, and at one point, someone fired a gun into the air, according to witnesses who called 911.

Diaz died of a stab wound, police said. A male who called 911 said Diaz was bleeding badly from a neck wound.

Mario Flores, cousin of Oscar and Juan, told the Journal-News the violence that night is a case of fighting families that began in March with a violent incident in Hamilton County at a private party at a club on Harrison Road. He said Diaz was a close friend of the other family. Both members of that family and the Flores family were at the March party.

“One of my cousins got jumped by 10 plus people when they were leaving, and stabbed,” Flores said. The cousin recovered but only with quick help from those nearby.

He said members of the other family were named as suspects in that incident and the investigation is ongoing. Members of the families along with friends showed up at the Hamilton party and a fight broke out.

According to Hamilton Police, Rodriguez-Remigio, who is Mario Flores’ mother, hid the murder weapon for “the suspect” and lied to a police sergeant during the investigation. He said his mother was at the “wrong place at the wrong time” and cooperated with police.

Anyone with knowledge about the whereabouts of Juan, Luis and Oscar Flores is asked to contact Hamilton police at (513) 868-5811, ext. 2002, or call 911.

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