Fifth Arrested In Connection To Homestead Vocational School Murder

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A fifth person has been arrested in connection to a vicious machete murder at a U.S. Department of Labor vocational school in Homestead.

Joseph Cabrera, 23, was apprehended in St. Louis, Missouri.

Miami-Dade homicide detectives say Cabrera, along with four others, killed their classmate, 17-year-old Jose Amaya Guardado.

An arrest report says the suspects lured Amaya Guardado to a wooded area near the live-in Homestead school for at-risk students in June.

Authorities say that's where Guardado was hacked to death with a machete. His body was found several days later.

Kaheem Arbelo, Jonathan Lucas, Christian Colon and Desiray Strickland were facing second-degree murder charges. Strickland's charge has since been upgraded to first-degree murder.

Authorities have not said what charge Cabrera will face.