Man Involved in Whiskey River Saloon Stabbing Sentenced

SAN ANGELO, TX — One of the men involved in the Whiskey River Saloon stabbing has been sentenced.

Julian Suarez, 47, pled guilty Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, according to the order of the court, to two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

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According to court documents, on Oct. 2, 2022, investigators responded to a reported stabbing at Whiskey River Saloon, 125 E. Concho Ave. On scene, broken glass and suspected blood splatter was observed in various areas around the parking lot. It was also learned that there were multiple stabbing victim that were at first triaged in the parking lot before being transported to Shannon Medical Center.

The owner of Whiskey River Saloon accessed video surveillance where a large fight was observed inside the bar. This fight was broken up then surveillance footage from outside the bar was viewed.

Another fight occurred outdoors in this footage where one of the victims could be seen leaving the bar when another individual, identified as Suarez, approached from behind and hit him with a beer mug, which shattered upon impact. After the victim had been hit in the head, Suarez cut him on the finger with the broken beer mug then stabbed him in the arm with the broken handle.

Suarez was sentenced, after pleading guilty according to the order of the court, to five years on one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for assaulting one victim and 12 years on the second count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for assaulting a second victim.

Suarez was booked into the Tom Green County Jail at 6:24 p.m. Nov. 12, 2024.

Ray Vera, the main suspect in the stabbing, was sentenced to life in prison in April 2024.