Three American brothers—Albert Max Martinez-Arizala, 25; Alexis Jesus Martinez-Arizala, 21; and Alejandro Martinez-Arizala Jr, 18—pleaded guilty to charges of being armed with knives during a confrontation at a porridge stall in Singapore.
The incident escalated after a minor dispute, leading the brothers to arm themselves with kitchen knives and return to the stall.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
According to CNA, the incident began on July 26 when the brothers arrived in Singapore, planning to depart for Melbourne three days later.
Following their check-in at a hotel, the trio visited two clubs.
However, when they attempted to go to a third club around 5 am on July 27, they discovered it was closed. During this time, Albert separated from his younger brothers due to issues with an automated teller machine.
While Albert was occupied, Alexis and Alejandro wandered around and eventually found themselves at Tai Heng Teochew Porridge Stall in Orchard Plaza around 6:30 am.
At around 6:30 am, the group found themselves at Tai Heng Teochew Porridge Stall located on the first floor of Orchard Plaza. They approached two women who were seated at a table, and Alexis leaned against a moveable partition while engaging them in conversation.
There, Alexis leaned on a moveable partition while speaking to two women at a nearby table, prompting the stall’s owner, Mr. Zhang Zhiqiang, to ask him to refrain from doing so for safety reasons.
In response, Alexis scolded Mr. Zhang, prompting an angry retort from the older man who demanded to know what Alexis’s problem was.
At this point, another man, who introduced himself as the boyfriend of one of the women, intervened and asked if Alexis and Alejandro knew his girlfriend. When they replied that they did not and that they were merely trying to get to know the women, a heated verbal argument ensued, culminating in Alexis gesturing as if he was ready to fight.
Efforts by passers-by to defuse the situation were in vain, and the brothers left the stall after several minutes. However, upon reuniting with Albert, they fabricated a story about being attacked by five individuals, spurring him to accompany them back to the porridge stall for what they claimed was a confrontation with their assailants.
In a misguided attempt to confront their supposed assailants, they armed themselves with kitchen knives and a frying pan purchased from a nearby supermarket.
“fat … Beluga … whale”
Upon reuniting, the brothers, fueled by anger and a desire for confrontation, decided to return to the stall. Concerned about being outnumbered, they armed themselves with kitchen knives from a nearby supermarket, purchasing three knives with 18cm-long blades, a frying pan, and a bottle of bathroom cleaner for nearly S$130.
When they returned to the porridge stall around 9 am, tensions flared as Albert brandished the knife in a threatening manner, demanding to know who had assaulted his brothers.
As per CNA report, Albert took out the knife and raised it in a “threatening manner”, then held up the pan and bathroom cleaner while looking in the worker’s direction.
The worker said he did not know, and that the brothers should go away, the report added further.
As they searched for Mr. Zhang, who had already left, Alexis made derogatory remarks towards the stall’s co-owner, calling her a “fat … Beluga … whale” and insisting that Mr. Zhang had assaulted him.
According another report, following a confrontation at a porridge stall, co-owner Alexis was insulted by co-owner Albert, who then instructed his younger brothers, Alejandro and another sibling, to apologize to her.
Albert sought compensation for an alleged assault on his brothers, initially negotiating for S$300, then S$200, but the co-owner refused to pay.
Meanwhile, Alexis and Alejandro exited the stall with three knives and a frying pan, discarding the items in a male toilet at Orchard Point shopping center.
The police arrived shortly after and found the brothers around 9:20 AM, seizing the discarded items before arresting the trio around 12:10 PM that day.
WHAT HAPPENED IN COURT
In court, the brothers appeared in suits, accompanied by family members.
The prosecution presented a strong case, underscoring the fact that the brothers had returned to the stall not for reconciliation but for confrontation. The defense, represented by lawyer A Rajandran, attempted to portray the brothers as victims of circumstance, citing a previous robbery they experienced in Thailand that left them anxious about being outnumbered.
According to ST, Mr. A. Rajandran, stated that prior to their trip to Singapore, the three young men were attacked and robbed by a large group in Thailand. He noted that the brothers experience mental health issues but conceded that there is no direct connection between these issues and the offenses committed in Singapore. However, Judge Toh dismissed this argument, stating that the past incident was irrelevant as it occurred outside of Singapore.
“For what it’s worth, these are three young persons who are foreigners in an unknown country, in a strange environment,” Mr Rajandran told the court according to Channel News Asia.
The judge pointedly remarked on the brothers’ decision to arm themselves, stressing that their intent was not merely to defend themselves but to confront the alleged attackers.
SENTENCING
During the sentencing, each brother’s role in the situation was noted in the sentencing; Alejandro’s suggestion to arm themselves, Alexis’s provocation of the stall’s co-owner, and Albert’s threatening behavior were all acknowledged as contributing factors to the escalation of events.
The judge said that the siblings had intentionally purchased knives from a supermarket, indicating a clear intent to confront rather than defend themselves. These actions collectively contributed to a dangerous confrontation that was entirely avoidable.
The brothers—25-year-old Albert Max Martinez-Arizala, 21-year-old Alexis Jesus Martinez-Arizala, and 18-year-old Alejandro Martinez-Arizala Jr—each pleaded guilty to one charge of being armed with a weapon, resulting in varying sentences handed down by the State Courts on Thursday, December 5.
Regarding the younger brother, Alejandro, the judge determined that probation would not be appropriate given his status as a foreigner, lacking a familial support network in Singapore to facilitate such a measure. Furthermore, Judge Toh dismissed the defense’s request to consider the seven days the brothers spent in remand, asserting that their sentences were already reflective of this period.
Albert received a six-week jail sentence, Alexis was sentenced to four weeks of imprisonment, while Alejandro was given a short detention order (SDO) of 14 days.
An SDO is a community-based sentence designed to deter offenders by allowing them to experience prison life without leaving a criminal record.
As the proceedings concluded, the brothers were informed they would begin serving their sentences on Thursday. Under Singapore law, individuals found in possession of a weapon likely to cause death without lawful authority or purpose face a maximum penalty of two years in prison, fines, or both.
Image via Zaobao
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