On Monday, Sept 1, at approximately 9:30 PM Officers from the Vero Beach Police Department responded to the McDonald’s restaurant located at 1925 US-1 in reference to a 9-1-1 caller who said a customer had been stabbed. The witnesses saw the suspect flee the scene on foot and run in a northeast direction across US-1 towards the Burger King. Officers responded to both locations in order to try to catch the suspect and render aid to the victim.
The Officers who arrived at the McDonald’s found a white male, later identified as Kevin Adorno, 32, laying on the floor near the bathrooms. It was evident from the amount of blood that he had been stabbed several times in the chest and arm. Although EMS and Fire Rescue also assisted in the attempts to save Adorno; he died from his injuries a short time later at the Indian River Memorial Hospital.
The suspect, later identified as Rene Herrera Cruz, 59, was apprehended across the street from the crime scene at the Burger King by members of the VBPD and IRCSO Deputies who had also responded to the call. The suspect matched the description provided by the eye witnesses and he was placed under arrest and transported to the VBPD for questioning.
During questioning by Detectives of the VBPD, Cruz admitted to stabbing Adorno. He stated that he thought Adorno was directing other people via cell phone to attack him and Cruz therefore felt threatened and attacked Adorno.
Witnesses to the event saw Adorno walk out to the parking lot of McDonalds prior to the attack and use his cell phone. They then observed Cruz approach Adorno and begin to attack him with a knife and then run across US-1. There were no statements that would lead Detectives to believe that Cruz was threatened or accosted in any way by Adorno.
