Twenty-seven-year-old Akmal Khozhiev was arrested in connection to a stabbing incident that led to the death of Dr. Miran Ribati on Sunday afternoon at the Poinciana Apartments in Tamuning where Khozhiev lived.

Khozhiev allegedly stabbed Ribati and killed him at an apartment complex in Tamuning on Sunday.

His former employers told KUAM News Khozhiev was once like family. JJ and Francesca Ambrose, owners and trainers at Steel Athletics, also said they weren't surprised to hear he was involved in the alleged violent act.

"The man that we knew was so loving so caring, loved kids loved our kids. He helped my daughter numerous times," JJ Ambrose said. "He genuinely cared so much about the people in this gym and their well-being."

Khozhiev was a trainer at Steel Athletics for years and was fired for threatening customers months back. In a video shared with KUAM, he could be seen aggressively pushing a person to the ground, violently kicking him twice before trying to throw a punch. He kicked the person again before being pulled away by others.

The couple noticed drastic changes in Khozhiev and tried to warn people that he was dangerous and even told the police. It felt as if nobody took them seriously.

"He was such a great person up until he wasn't," JJ Ambrose said. "We did everything we possibly could to warn people that AK wasn't AK anymore."

"He was not the guy that everyone knew from around the gym anymore," Francesca Ambrose said.

"It's very hard cause I know when you're friends with two people and those two people are on the outs you don't want to take sides you want to ride in the middle but in this case AK seriously needed help and that was the problem that people were not trying to take sides and he seriously needed help this whole time," JJ Ambrose said.

The couple slowly distanced themselves from Khozhiev but the victim, Dr. Ribati, who trained at Steel Athletics for the last four years allegedly remained close to the suspect.

"Miran was like the one guy that was supporting him," JJ Ambrose said. "Such a great person he was a doctor and he was always in the gym working out and taking care of his health and fitness. He was one of those doctors that leads from the front so to hear about him being the victim it's a shocker."

"It makes no sense," Francesca Ambrose said. "It makes zero sense cause he was the one supporting AK even after he left the gym," JJ Ambrose said.

JJ Ambrose alleged that he was threatened by Khozhiev through a video just days before. He was arrested for Aggravated Murder, Aggravated Assault, Use of a Deadly Weapon in the Commission of a Felony, Strangulation, Felonious Restraint, Assault, and Family Violence. He was booked and confined.