A Montreal North man has admitted to manslaughter in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred in the borough of St-Laurent two years ago, abruptly ending a murder trial that was set to begin with a jury next month.
Guilty Plea Ends Scheduled Trial
Uriel Pepin Rojas, 23, entered a guilty plea to manslaughter on Friday, December 19, 2025, before Quebec Superior Court Justice Hélène Di Salvo at the Montreal courthouse. He was originally charged with second-degree murder in the death of 23-year-old Liam Angelo Rodriguez on October 1, 2023, as well as assaulting his former girlfriend.
With this admission, Justice Di Salvo ordered the cancellation of a jury trial that was scheduled to start on January 7, 2026. The case will now proceed directly to a sentencing hearing in January, where the Crown and defence will present arguments on the appropriate prison term.
A Fatal Confrontation Over a Relationship
Prosecutor Philippe Vallières-Roland outlined the facts of the case, revealing the incident stemmed from a dispute over a woman. Pepin Rojas had been in a relationship with the woman that began in early 2023. By that fall, while Pepin Rojas believed they were still a couple, the woman had decided to end the relationship, citing his persistent phone calls and text messages.
On the afternoon of October 1, 2023, the woman had just begun seeing Rodriguez, who was inside her fifth-floor apartment in St-Laurent. Pepin Rojas arrived unannounced at approximately 2 p.m. Finding the building's lobby door unlocked, he proceeded to her unit.
"She assumed it was her landlord coming to collect rent," Vallières-Roland said, recounting the woman's statement to police. When she opened the door, Pepin Rojas forced his way inside by placing his foot in the doorway. Fearing for her safety, the woman retreated to her kitchen and grabbed a knife, repeatedly yelling "get out," which was heard by several neighbours.
Knife Fight Leads to Tragic Outcome
The situation escalated rapidly when Pepin Rojas began filming the woman and Rodriguez with his phone. Rodriguez snatched the phone and threw it to the floor, triggering a violent physical fight between the two men.
During the struggle, Pepin Rojas broke away, went to the kitchen, and seized a different knife. Rodriguez, in turn, was armed with a pocket knife and used it to stab Pepin Rojas first. The confrontation culminated in Rodriguez being fatally stabbed.
When police arrived at the blood-soaked apartment, Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene. A subsequent autopsy revealed he suffered 10 stab wounds, including defensive injuries on his hands. Pepin Rojas was arrested and hospitalized for several days for his own wounds.
The guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter, accepted by the court, concludes a case that highlights the tragic consequences of interpersonal violence. The sentencing phase will determine the legal repercussions for Pepin Rojas's actions.
