Friday May 9

Murder suspect says he panicked

Bay City News

A 26-year-old Daly City man accused of stabbing another man to death following a San Francisco Giants game in 2004 renewed his self-defense claim on the stand Thursday morning, testifying that he panicked and swung his knife but didn't mean to kill the man.

Rafael Cuevas is charged with murdering Timothy Griffith, 21, of Redwood City, during a fight outside of then-SBC Park on the night of Sept. 17, 2004. Cuevas was 22 at the time.

Cuevas testified this morning in San Francisco Superior Court that his decision to leave his car and confront Griffith after Griffith walked by and struck the window was a "split-second reaction."

"The worst mistake of my life," said Cuevas. Cuevas said he was looking for an explanation or an apology.

The incident reportedly began as crowds were leaving the game. After Griffith struck the window of Cuevas' car with his hand, a confrontation ensued and several people brawled along Terry A. Francois Boulevard, during which Griffith was stabbed multiple times in the chest.

"I'm here to be held accountable for my actions, in this whole thing," Cuevas explained. "But I didn't act alone."

Cuevas refused to blame Griffith for his murder, but said, "I can't take 100 percent responsibility for all things that occurred."

After the two men exchanged punches, Cuevas said, another man came up behind him and put his arm around his throat. Cuevas claimed he couldn't breathe.

"It was just a panic ... and I pulled out my knife and started swinging with it," said Cuevas.

However, Cuevas had no explanation in court for why he didn't try to stab the man who had his arm around his neck.

A medical examiner testified that Griffith sustained five stab wounds, three in the area of his heart.

"I didn't deliberately stab him in his heart," Cuevas maintained. "I killed Timothy Griffith but I didn't mean to."

"My goal was to stop him from attacking me," he said.

The day after the stabbing, Cuevas, a former marble company worker, fled to Mexico, returning about two weeks later after what he claims was a religious crisis of conscience.

He was arrested at the Mexico-Arizona border and has remained in custody ever since.