BOSTON, April 14, 2015—An Everett man who fled the state after allegedly stabbing a teenager nearly to death in Chelsea last month has been captured and held on high bail, authorities said today.

Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes, State Police Colonel Timothy Alben, and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced the arrest, extradition, and arraignment of JUAN SANTANA-RUIZ (D.O.B. 9/5/74) on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery. The charges arise out of the stabbing of a 17-year-old Chelsea male at a Washington Street restaurant last month.

Chelsea Police responded to the Plaza Mexico shortly before 9:00 p.m. on March 22 for a report of a stabbing.  Responding officers learned that a man who frequented the establishment known to some witnesses as “Carrera” became involved in a physical altercation with a 17-year-old male and was removed from the establishment.  He allegedly forced his way back inside and made his way to the rear door where the victim and family members were exiting.  Once there, he stabbed the victim in the abdomen and ran back through the restaurant and out the front door, prosecutors said.

A witness transported the badly-injured youth to Massachusetts General Hospital in Chelsea, where Chelsea Police assisted in providing first aid to the victim, who was drifting in and out of consciousness. The victim was transported by ambulance to MGH in Boston, where he underwent emergency surgery for a serious stab wound to his abdomen.

Additional Chelsea Police officers responded to the restaurant, where they began interviewing witnesses and securing footage from surveillance cameras inside and outside the establishment.  A camera at the front of the establishment captured the suspect fleeing up Forsyth Street with an object in his hand after the stabbing; he is then seen returning to the location and entering a gray Honda Odyssey before driving from the area.  A folding knife with what appeared to be dried blood on it was found behind a building at the corner of Forsyth Street and Washington Avenue.

Though several patrons and employees were familiar with the assailant by face or nickname, none could identify him by his true name. In the course of the investigation, however, Chelsea detectives obtained information – including a Facebook “friend” request provided by one witness – that led to his identification. A corresponding Registry of Motor Vehicles photograph depicted the suspect in the surveillance footage, authorities said.

Armed with his name and photograph, Chelsea Police obtained a warrant for Santana-Ruiz’ arrest and attempted to place him under at his Everett home, only to find that he had already fled the area. On April 3, after continued investigation into Santana-Ruiz’ whereabouts, Massachusetts and Connecticut state police took Santana-Ruiz into custody in Connecticut.  At a hearing in Hartford Superior Court last week, he waived extradition proceedings and Chelsea Police returned him to Massachusetts on Friday.

At his arraignment Monday, Assistant District Attorney Vincent DeMore requested that Santana-Ruiz be held in lieu of $250,000 bail; Judge Benjamin Barnes imposed $200,000 bail. He returns to court May 14.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.