Children Witness Dad’s Brutal Stabbing After School Drop-Off — Suspect Nabbed After 11 Years

A man has been arrested more than a decade after a father was stabbed to death near an elementary school in California, in a case that shocked students and staff who witnessed the attack.

Jose Jimenez, 32, was charged with murder on April 2 in connection with the killing of 55-year-old Labh Nigah in 2014. Authorities said the attack took place in broad daylight near Sierra Linda Elementary School, shortly after Nigah dropped off his son for class.

Police said Nigah had walked his son to school and then went for his usual morning walk in a nearby park. Around 8:40 a.m., he was attacked and stabbed several times on a public path.

Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko called it “brutal” in a statement. "This was an ambush and a brutal crime committed in broad daylight against a completely unsuspecting victim," he said.

Witnesses included people in the park, school staff, and children in the schoolyard. “This was a truly heinous crime,” Oxford Police Chief Jason Benites said. “Worst yet, grade-school students who were in the schoolyard also witnessed it,” he added.

Investigators believe the attack was random. "There is no evidence that the victim knew the defendant or the defendant knew the victim," Nasarenko said at a press conference. "By all accounts, they were total and complete strangers to one another and this was a random, unprovoked and brutal murder."

The case remained unsolved for more than 11 years, and officials said new forensic technology helped with the arrest of the accused.

Nigah’s family described him as a hardworking man, a father of three, who had moved to the United States from India. He worked at a local convenience store and focused on his children’s future.

His daughter, Harleen Kaur, said the long wait for answers had been really painful for the family. She said, “Not having a name for who had done this was beginning to become its own form of closure" as the case remained unsolved for 11 years. "So for it to come back after 11 years that we have a name on one hand is genuinely amazing," Kaur added.

Jimenez is currently being held in custody. Prosecutors said bail was set at $1 million, and he faces one count of murder along with special allegations, including using a knife and targeting a vulnerable victim.

According to reports, his next court hearing is scheduled for April 28.