The suspect in a deadly stabbing at a Stamford Christmas party was arraigned Monday after being extradited from California to Connecticut.

Juan Camilo Avila-Olmos, 28, appeared in Stamford Superior Court, charged with the murder of Juan David Hernandez Velasco, 32, on Dec. 25, 2023. Judge Robert Golger called it “an extremely violent offense” and noted the evidence against Avila-Olmos appears to be very strong. Golger set bond at $5 million, stating Avila-Olmos is a flight risk.

Stamford police said he fled the city shortly after Velasco’s death.

“He was only here for 15 days prior to the incident. After the incident took place, he moved across the country to Los Angeles,” said Sgt. William Garay, who led the homicide investigation.

It happened in the early morning hours of Christmas 2023 during a small get-together at a home on Crystal Street.

“Some heavy drinking was done, and an argument led to a physical confrontation,” Garay explained.

According to Avila-Olmos’ arrest warrant, the fight continued outside, with one of the partygoers witnessing Avila-Olmos grab Velasco from behind, wrap his arm around Velasco’s neck and stab him with a knife. Police said Velasco sustained two puncture wounds.

“This was a very, very violet incident. Mr. Velasco was stabbed in the back,” said Lt. Douglas Deiso.

Velasco died in emergency surgery. Police said a couple of people from the party dropped him at Stamford Hospital's emergency room entrance, then took off. Police initially identified one of them as a suspect, Beimar Andres Araujo-Ramirez, who was Velasco’s stepson. But as the investigation continued, police said the facts pointed elsewhere.

“In the beginning of the investigation, there was a lot of, you know, false testimony, fabrications of the incident. However, these detectives and the sergeant steadily chipped away at the incident and made sure that they looked into it closely,” Deiso told News 12.

According to the arrest warrant, Avila-Olmos gave police “inconsistent and wavering renditions of events in an intentional attempt to mislead the police investigation and evade culpability.”

Garay said phone data analysis and follow-up interviews with witnesses proved critical in the case.

Police recovered WhatsApp messages between Avila-Olmos and one of the party’s hosts related to “the discarding or concealment of the weapon used to kill Juan and other evidence relating to the crime,” according to the arrest warrant. Police also found a video recording on that host’s phone of a witness detailing what she saw—Avila-Olmos stab Velasco with a knife—shortly after the incident, the warrant said.

Avila-Olmos only knew the party’s hosts, one of whom he’d grown up with in Colombia, and didn't know victim, the warrant stated.

Avila-Olmos was taken into custody by police in Los Angeles on Dec. 21, just days before Velasco's family marked one year without him. Garay said the victim was a husband, stepfather, brother and son.

“We're grateful that we were able to bring the family closure prior to the anniversary date of losing their loved one,” Garay said.

Avila-Olmos is due back in court March 18.