HOUSTON – Surveillance video from inside a Pasadena bar shows the minutes leading up to a fatal stabbing in the parking lot. Michael Loya is accused of stabbing Daniel McClain to death in the parking lot of Daddy O’s Sports Bar Sunday night.
Loya’s girlfriend, who asked not be identified, has now come forward to claim the entire incident was an act of self-defense.
“It was three against Michael,” she said. “They need to stop pointing the finger only at Michael.”
The woman said it was McClain, the bar’s bouncer and other patrons who were the aggressors that night. She admits she was involved in the fight, but only to defend her boyfriend.
“As his girlfriend, I'm going to protect him and he's the father of my kids,” she said.
However, the bar's bouncer, Cory San Miguel, tells a different story.
“We told him to leave, he was getting loud and we told him to chill,” said San Miguel.
The bar's surveillance video shows Loya chatting and laughing with McClain and other customers while his girlfriend is in the bathroom. Loya’s girlfriend said she became ill and spent several minutes in the bathroom vomiting.
VIDEO: Surveillance video from inside bar
The video then shows Loya saying something to a woman that angers several of the patrons. San Miguel and McClain are then seen ushering Loya toward the door. His girlfriend comes out of the bathroom and she's told to leave too.
While the video does not show what happened outside the bar, San Miguel can be seen having some type of confrontation with Loya. San Miguel said Loya became violent.
“He just kept on getting up, kept on getting up, kept on getting up and coming towards me,” said San Miguel.
The video then shows Loya and his girlfriend trying to get back into the bar several times. Patrons are seen hanging onto the door’s handle to keep it closed. Loya’s girlfriend said she left her wallet behind and employees wouldn't give it to her.
“I was like, 'give me my things, give me my things. (Loya) runs back too and he's like, 'give her, her things,'” she said.
San Miguel said that’s not true.
“We checked and there was no purse or nothing,” said San Miguel.
While no one is certain why, McClain goes outside. Less than two minutes later, San Miguel is seen running in to the bar and yelling. San Miguel said it was at that point Loya was stabbing McClain.
“It just happened so quick and I just ran over there and pushed him off and we started scuffling and rumbling,” said San Miguel.
Loya was released on bond Wednesday, but declined to speak with KPRC.
