Petworth stabbing victim identified as 17-year-old; motive unknown

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/petworth-stabbing-victim-identified-as-17-year-old-motive-unknown/2015/12/21/c14627a4-a842-11e5-9b92-dea7cd4b1a4d_story.html

Version 0 of 1.

The victim in a fatal stabbing Sunday in Petworth was a 17-year-old high school football player who was on his way to visit his girlfriend.

Police identified the slain teen as Jose Ochoa of Northwest Washington. According to a relative, Ochoa was a senior at Paul International High School, a public charter school.

Police had no information about a possible suspect or motive in the stabbing, which apparently occurred in the 4100 block of Eighth Street NW.

“He was a very good kid” and a “very hard worker” who aspired to attend college, said Christopher Wilder, his high school coach. “It’s hard,” Wilder said of Ochoa’s death. “He was so young.”

A relative who did not want to be named out of concern for his safety called Ochoa “just a nice, amazing, good guy” who was respectful and well mannered.

The homicide was the 157th in the city this year, according to the police. The number is 60 more than this time last year.