Man Arrested In Union Street Stabbing. Suspect Says It Was Self-Defense

MANCHESTER, NH - Manchester Police have made an arrest in connection with a stabbing incident that happened in the area of Union St and Litchfield Lane that occurred on July 27th.

Officers responded to the area of Union Street and Litchfield Lane at about 10:50 p.m. and found a victim with a non-life-threatening stab wound to his upper arm.

The victim told police that an unknown male was not allowing his friend to park near his apartment. He went outside to talk to the man, and they got into a physical altercation which is when the victim was stabbed.

Surveillance video captured a suspect wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with stripes, and as part of the investigation, photos of the individual were dispersed through social media.

Manchester Police identified the suspect as Edgardo Molina, 34 of New Boston. Molina was charged with first-degree assault and booked in absentia as he was already being held on an unrelated domestic violence charge.

Molina appeared in Hillsborough County Superior Court Monday where his defense attorney said this is a case of self-defense. Molina allegedly was walking down the alley and looking down at his cell phone and the driver aggressively came towards him.

According to Molina, a man came out of an apartment and aggressively confronted him and was chest to chest with the suspect. The suspect took out a knife which was described in court as being 7 to 8 inches long and attempted to defend himself. When he pulled the knife and had it in his hand the victim was “slashed”.

Molina has multiple criminal convictions and has probation violations and a pending domestic charge. Prosecutors said he is a danger to the public and the victim in the domestic violence case. Prosecutors asked the Honorable Judge William Delker to hold him on preventative detention.

The defense said that he currently is working, has lived in New Hampshire his entire life, and would live with his parents in New Boston. He would not come to Manchester and also he is worried about getting documents in order for his children to attend school. The attorney said that the probation violation was due to him not knowing who he was reporting to.

Judge Delker ordered Molina to be held at the Hillsborough County House of Corrections on preventative detention and suggested that an evidentiary hearing be scheduled to discuss the facts surrounding self-defense which did not appear in the Manchester Police Affidavit.

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