The victim, identified by his family as 51-year-old Teofilo Vargas, worked at a car wash connected to the business.
MIRAMAR, FL — Police searched Thursday for a suspect accused of fatally stabbing a man during an altercation outside a gas station in western Miramar, authorities said.
The stabbing happened shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday outside a Mobil station on Miramar Parkway near Southwest 172nd Avenue. First responders found the victim with serious injuries and transported him by helicopter to a trauma center, according to police. Doctors later pronounced him dead.
The victim was identified by his son as Teofilo Vargas, 51. Workers at the gas station told WPLG-TV that Vargas worked at the property’s car wash and may have been finishing his work when the confrontation occurred. Police had not publicly confirmed those details or formally released the victim’s identity as of Thursday evening.
Miramar police spokeswoman Janice McIntosh said investigators believe an altercation occurred between two men before one of them was stabbed. Authorities have not disclosed what caused the confrontation or whether the men knew each other.
Vargas’ son, Alan Vargas, described his father as a calm and hardworking person who did not have problems with others. He said the family did not know what could have led to the deadly encounter.
The suspect fled after the stabbing, prompting officers to establish a perimeter around the area. Miramar police officers searched with K-9 units, while Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies and a helicopter assisted in the operation.
Authorities closed Miramar Parkway in both directions between Southwest 164th Avenue and Southwest 172nd Avenue while officers searched the area and processed the scene. Drivers were told to use alternate routes during the investigation.
Police said investigators know the identity of the person they are seeking, but they had not released the suspect’s name or description. Officials also had not announced an arrest, possible charges or a suspected motive as of Thursday evening.
No gas station employees were involved in the altercation, police said. Investigators continued asking anyone with information about the stabbing to contact the Miramar Police Department or Broward Crime Stoppers.
Author note: Last updated July 23, 2026.