Montgomery County man charged with stabbing brother-in-law to death after birthday party

An argument between two brothers-in-law at a birthday party escalated to violence early Sunday in Norristown, authorities say, ending with one man fatally stabbed, another hospitalized in critical condition, and a third arrested and charged with murder.

Juan Tox Caal, 19, of Norristown, was charged with first- and third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and related offenses in the killing of his brother-in-law, Rolando Popsacul, 22, and the attack on Carlos Cocul, 27, a friend of Popsacul’s.

All three men spent Saturday night at the party on the 500 block of Haws Avenue, police said. At the party, Caal and Popsacul argued about Caal’s wanting to divorce Popsacul’s sister, Evelia Popsacul, who lives in Guatemala and was not present, authorities say witnesses told them.

Shortly after 2 a.m., police were called to the area around Haws Avenue and West Airy Street for a reported stabbing. When officers arrived, they found Popsacul and Cocul, both stabbed in the chest.

Popsacul was pronounced dead at the scene. Cocul was taken by helicopter to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where authorities said he was listed in critical condition Monday with a collapsed lung and internal bleeding.

Police said they found a box cutter on the sidewalk near the two men.

After talking with Cocul and other party guests, and reviewing video surveillance from the scene, authorities said, they determined that Caal had been the attacker.

In the hospital, Cocul told police he had been walking home from the party with Popsacul when they were attacked, authorities said. Cocul told police he recognized his attacker as a man he had first met earlier that night, authorities said. Video surveillance shows the attack happening, Popsacul falling to the ground, and Caal fleeing the scene, police said.

In his first police interview, Caal admitted he stabbed the two men and fled, but said he did so because they both were armed with knives, authorities said. In a second interview, however, police said Caal told them Popsacul had not been holding a knife.

A lawyer for Caal was not listed on court documents as of Monday.

He was being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility without bail. He awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 2.