Newsroom
What started as a family disagreement in Pegia has now escalated into a widening murder investigation, with police making three additional arrests in the fatal stabbing of a 41-year-old man.
The latest arrests involve three men aged 34, 31 and 25, all detained under court warrants to assist investigators as they work to untangle the events that led to the deadly confrontation. Their arrests follow the detention of a 29-year-old man, who is already in custody on an eight-day remand in connection with the case.
The victim, a Bulgarian national, was rushed to Paphos General Hospital late Saturday night with a knife still embedded in his abdomen. Despite desperate efforts by medical staff, he died from his injuries in the early hours of Sunday morning.
According to police, the violence erupted shortly before midnight after a confrontation at a residence in Pegia. Officers were alerted at around 11:40 p.m. following reports of a serious altercation at the scene.
When police arrived, they found the 29-year-old suspect outside his home. His vehicle was located a short distance away, bearing clear signs of damage, including a smashed rear window and impact marks to the front.
About 30 minutes later, the unfolding drama spilled onto the streets of Paphos. Officers from the motorcycle unit stopped a vehicle on Kennedy Avenue after its occupants urgently signaled for help. Inside the car were five people, including the wounded 41-year-old man, critically injured, with the knife still lodged in his stomach.
Also in the vehicle was another 29-year-old man who had suffered head injuries and abrasions. Police believe he was struck by a car during the chaos that followed the stabbing. Three additional men of Bulgarian origin were also travelling in the vehicle.
Investigators believe the group had driven from Limassol to Pegia to meet the suspect, who was a relative, in an attempt to settle an earlier dispute. Instead, the meeting quickly descended into violence.
According to evidence presented so far, the victim allegedly damaged the suspect’s car using a piece of wood. Moments later, the suspect is said to have stabbed his uncle in the abdomen. He then allegedly returned to his vehicle, injured the second 29-year-old man, and fled the scene.
The suspect was arrested in the early hours of Sunday. During questioning, he admitted to the stabbing but maintained that he had no intention of killing the victim.
Court proceedings also revealed that tensions between the two men had been simmering online, with arguments allegedly taking place on TikTok in the days leading up to the fatal encounter. The suspect told investigators that earlier that evening his wife had warned him after spotting the victim and others parked near their home. He claimed he armed himself with a kitchen knife “for protection” before heading to the area.
The court ruled there was reasonable suspicion to justify continued detention and approved the suspect’s eight-day remand, citing the early stage of the investigation.
A post-mortem examination on the victim’s body is scheduled for later this morning.
