Apple River stabbing trial: Nicolae Miu's tubing friend says 'He defended himself'
Apple River stabbing trial: Witness says Miu 'defended himself'
Ariel Chaguez Leyet took the stand to testify in the Apple River stabbing trial. Ariel was part of Miu's tubing group on July 30, 2022. Ariel testified Miu's wife said Miu was in trouble, so his girlfriend told him to go look to see what was going on. Ariel said he walked downriver toward where Miu was. Ariel testified he saw Miu getting bullied by a group of young people, who were hitting him and threw his snorkel. Someone then pushed him down and hit him but then Miu "defended" himself, Ariel testified.
HUDSON, Wis. (FOX 9) - A member of Nicolae Miu's tubing party in court on Friday said Miu defended himself against the group of teenagers in what ended in a deadly stabbing on the Apple River.
Nicolae Miu, 54, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and multiple counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide that could send him to prison for life if he is convicted. He is accused of killing Stillwater, Minnesota, native 17-year-old Isaac Schuman and wounding four others — Dante Carlson, Tony Carlson, Ryhley Mattison and A.J. Martin — on July 30, 2022.
Ariel Chaguez Leyet testified for the defense on Friday, the 35th witness to testify in the trial and the second witness for the defense, testified through an interpreter that Miu acted in self-defense.
Ariel has known Miu for a little over five years, he testified, noting Miu has a character of "peacefulness."
READ MORE: Timeline of what happened
Ariel was part of Miu's tubing group on July 30, 2022. His girlfriend dropped his phone in the river while tubing down the Apple River, prompting Miu to go looking for it with the snorkel — swimming in the direction the water was flowing, Ariel testified. The phone wasn't found that day, but Ariel does have his phone now — police found it and it was returned to him, Ariel testified.
READ MORE: Key players in Nicolae Miu's trial
Ariel testified Miu's wife said Miu was in trouble, so his girlfriend told him to go look to see what was going on. Ariel said he walked downriver toward where Miu was. Ariel testified he saw Miu getting bullied by a group of young people, who were hitting him and threw his snorkel. Someone then pushed him down and hit him but then "he defended himself", Ariel testified.
Watch his full testimony in the player above.
Apple River stabbing: What happened
According to court records, the stabbing took place on the Apple River near the Sunrise Bridge in Somerset, Wisconsin, which allegedly started after Miu was apparently looking for a friend, Ariel Chaguez Leyet's, cell phone in the river but was confronted by tubers who said he was acting sketchy.
The encounter escalated, and he apparently punched a female, Madison Coen, on the left side of her face before Miu was punched, eventually leading to the stabbing.
Witnesses began calling 911 at 3:47 p.m. on July 30, which indicated there were potentially four or five victims with wounds to the mid to upper body.
A 24-year-old woman from Burnsville, Minnesota, a 20-year-old and 22-year-old man from Luck, Wisconsin, and a 22-year-old man from Elk River, Minnesota, were injured in the attack. But, 17-year-old Schuman died from his injuries.
According to the criminal complaint, Miu claimed the attack was self-defense. He said he was "so fearful" for his safety, adding he wasn't sure what the people in the river were going to do to him, and "everything happened so fast."