Trial begins for Tampa man accused of stabbing stepfather to death over alleged affair

TAMPA, Fla. - The murder trial against a Tampa man accused of killing his stepfather during a violent confrontation began on Tuesday. 

Andy Flores Tello, 23, was charged with the murder of his stepfather, Carlos Alfredo Sub-Choc, which happened three years ago. Prosecutors said during the first day of the trial that the defendant was fueled by rage and alcohol. 

"He said ‘you’re not my real father, I’m going to kill you,’" Tampa Prosecutor Jessica Reder told the jury.

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Officials said the deadly encounter happened in October 2020. Flores Tello, who was living with roommates at a boarding house on West St. John Street in Tampa, began arguing with Alfredo Sub-Choc. 

Flores Tello claimed his stepfather was having an affair and cheating on his mother, prosecutors said. The fight turned physical, which is when Flores Tello grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Alfredo Sub-Choc to death. 

"He was mad, and he had been drinking," said Reder. 

During opening statements on Tuesday, Flores Tello's defense attorney, Bryant Camareno, said there was a rush to judgment in this case. He said police took the word of a roommate and discounted critical evidence. 

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Camareno pointed out that the knife recovered at the crime scene doesn’t appear to match some of the stab wounds on the victim. However, a knife found in a roommate's bedroom does match, and he says, there’s blood on it.  

"There’s another blade in the house. Did they test it for DNA? No. Did they test it for fingerprints? No," argued Camareno. 

He said his client also didn't have any cuts on his hands or blood on his clothing, but the roommate did have cuts that were in bandages when the police arrived. 

Camareno wasted no time poking holes into the prosecution's theory, but prosecutors told the jury that they got their killer. 

"The state is confident that you will find the defendant guilty, because he is," argued Reder. 

The murder trial is expected to continue Wednesday.