GREELEY, Colo. — A man is claiming self-defense after police said he stabbed and killed someone outside of a laundromat near the Greeley Mall in March.
The victim was identified as Will Brown who was 36 years old. Brown's childhood best friend, Austin Garcia, said he was a positive person who always tried to make things better.
"He was my best man at my wedding coming up here in a month and so it's just really hard timing to lose my best friend," Garcia said. "I still can't believe he's gone."
In March, Greeley police responded to a laundromat after a report of a fight. Officers said they found Brown with a number of stab wounds. He died at the hospital.
"He wasn’t that type of person to be in that situation and to find himself there and words can’t really wrap around how much it affects thinking about what he must have been thinking at that time," Garcia said. "He was a beautiful, kind, loving person that deserved to have so much better of an ending than he got."
Police arrested Michael Vegara for first degree murder. According to arrest documents, surveillance video shows Vergara confronted Brown inside the laundromat, and Brown appeared "caught off guard by it."
Brown attempted to walk away from Vegara and even placed his laundry basket between them but Vegara pushed it away. The two took the conversation outside where they physically fought until Vegara began to stab Brown. Vegara told police he believed he had no choice but to stab Brown.
"It seems like this person is more than likely coming after my brother in one way or another," Garcia added as he referred to the police report. "He had some sort of history of trying to go after my brother for I don’t even know why."
Court documents show Vergara had attempted to take out a restraining order against Brown a few weeks before the stabbing. In the application, he cited a September 2022 incident in which he claimed Brown attempted to "rob him at gunpoint." He also believed the person Brown was with was somehow affiliated with the CIA. According to arrest documents, the restraining order was denied.
According to documents, when Vegara was arrested he told police that Brown was an "informant" for Greeley Police and claimed he was involved with "corrupt officers."
"Mental health is important all around," Garcia explained. "Stuff like this happens all the time way too often and it's senseless and did not need to happen. "
Garcia planned to still have Brown as his best man in spirit. He said no one could replace someone so positive and caring.
"He was just a big teddy bear, he loved everyone, he was always in a good mood, always trying to make things better," Garcia explained. "He didn’t deserve this."
9NEWS did speak to Brown's wife off camera she said there was no reason for this to happen. Brown had previously told her a man was accusing him of messing with his car but they both never knew about the attempted restraining order.
She said they never thought the suspect would be violent.
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