Why Los Angeles, California’s Carlos Carrillo-Martinez stabbed Woodhaven, New York’s Jalil Sosa Illera

Jalil Sosa Illera of Woodhaven, New York, United States has died. He was 27.

Aside from Woodhaven, Illera lived in other parts of New York including New York City and Elmhurst. He and Fabian Elijah Illera, 28, of Jamaica, New York are two of the five children of Brigitte Rangel, 55, of Woodhaven.

Jalil was an aspiring fashion designer and musician while Carlos Carrillo-Martinez, 19, of Los Angeles, California, USA is a student at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College in Los Angeles where he is studying to be an electrician. They did not know each other.

In 2014, Jalil left his home in New York for Paris, France. He later moved to Los Angeles where he went to school and launched his clothing brand ILL ERA.

There were nine calls made to Jalil’s apartment complex in Los Angeles regarding “belligerent behavior” by him. While on an E Line train near Los Angeles Trade-Technical College on December 12, 2023, he approached Carrillo-Martinez, who was looking at his cellphone.

According to Carrillo-Martinez, Jalil stared at him “with his eyes popping out and his lips quivering”. Carrillo-Martinez said he asked Jalil if he needed help.

As surveillance video showed, Jalil was unprovoked when he punched Carrillo-Martinez in the face and continued to batter him. The glasses of the latter were broken.

Carrillo-Martinez took out a knife he was carrying and stabbed Jalil multiple times. The latter fled the train and managed to reach his apartment complex in Los Angeles.

Jalil called 911 before he collapsed. Firefighter-paramedics took him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

#BREAKING A suspect has turned himself in to the LAPD after being sought in connection with the fatal stabbing of a passenger on a Metro light-rail train. https://t.co/ZvJafrb9kI

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 14, 2023

Initially, Carrillo-Martinez stayed on the train and was picked up by a friend. On December 15, 2023, he turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department.

After being interviewed by detectives, Carrillo-Martinez was booked on suspicion of murder. His bail was set at $2 million.

After reviewing surveillance video and interviewing Carrillo-Martinez, investigators concluded that Jalil was the aggressor in the confrontation. The incident was described as a case of self-defense from an unprovoked attack.

Carrillo-Martinez has no prior criminal record. He has been released from custody.