Coconut Grove restaurant manager jailed in mother’s Brickell killing: cops

Crime admin September 5, 2026 0 Comments

Coconut Grove restaurant manager jailed in mother’s Brickell killing: cops

The manager of a Diego Maradona-themed Argentine steakhouse was locked up on Friday after police say he stabbed his mother to death in his Brickell high-rise apartment.

Shortly before 5 a.m., Miami police were called to Solitair Brickell Apartments, 86 SW Eighth St., for an “unknown request.”

Officers found Stefano Cremasco Cicero, 36, in the lobby with blood on his shoes, hands and clothing, according to his arrest affidavit.

“I was defending myself,” Cremasco Cicero told police before directing them to his apartment on the 47th floor, according to the affidavit.

Officers opened the unlocked apartment door and found a woman lying on her side with stab wounds. Miami Fire Rescue pronounced her dead at 5:08 a.m.

A search of the lobby found two pairs of white shoes covered in blood, a pair of glasses and Cremasco Cicero’s iPhone, according to police.

Police say Cremasco Cicero and his wife are the only people listed on the apartment lease, which has been in effect since July 23, 2024.

A food-delivery driver who was at the Brickell building to drop off an order told police that Cremasco Cicero had opened the lobby door for her and asked her to call 911. Cremasco Cicero called 911 himself and handed the woman the phone. As the woman spoke to a dispatcher, she noticed blood on Cremasco Cicero, who refused to take the phone back when she tried to hand it to him. She gave the phone to police when they arrived, according to the affidavit.

Police called Cremasco Cicero’s wife, who said she was in France for a wedding. She told police that Cremasco Cicero’s mother was visiting from Mexico and staying with him. She also said Cremasco Cicero and his mother were not close following his parents’ divorce, according to police.

The wife said she did not know of any mental illness involving Cremasco Cicero, but said he had been under a lot of stress because of the opening of a restaurant in Coconut Grove.

READ MORE: Upscale Argentine steakhouse coming to Coconut Grove

Cremasco Cicero, who was born in Mexico but is of Argentine descent, was the U.S. operating manager of 1986 Steak House, which hospitality company Grupo Orfano opened in May, the Miami Herald previously reported.

The restaurant is on the ground level of the Mayfair plaza in the Grove. Grupo Orfano could not be reached for comments. The restaurant is named for Argentina winning the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

“1986 Steak House is an elegant yet down-to-earth Argentine parrilla that honors its heritage while boldly pushing boundaries and drawing inspiration from American steakhouses,” Cremasco Cicero told the Herald at the time.

Back at his Brickell apartment, detectives searched the unit after a judge signed off on a warrant. Inside, police found several silver kitchen knives with blood on them, two white shirts with blood on them, broken glass and a broken wine bottle.

Police say surveillance footage showed Cremasco Cicero entering an elevator with his mother. They were seen together in the elevator, and the footage showed them leaving the building together. This information was consistent with the building’s key-fob records.

At around 10:32 p.m., they returned to the building together. Surveillance footage showed Cremasco Cicero and his mother were alone in the elevator at that time.

At around 4:26 a.m., Cremasco Cicero was seen entering an elevator wearing a white T-shirt, khaki pants and white shoes. What appeared to be blood was on his clothing and shoes. He was also holding a knife.

Cremasco Cicero exited the elevator and dropped the knife. He then picked it up, entered another elevator and went upstairs.

Cremasco Cicero was later seen entering the elevator again. This time, he was wearing a different shirt, described as a blue long-sleeve shirt. He exited the building and walked eastbound on Southwest Eighth Street while using his phone.

At approximately 4:39 a.m., Cremasco Cicero returned to the building lobby and sat on a couch. He then approached or got the attention of the food courier. Cremasco Cicero was still wearing the same white shoes, which appeared to have blood on them. The shoes were later recovered from the lobby.

He was arrested and taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He is charged with second-degree murder. Jail records show he is on an immigration hold. Police say he was in the U.S. on an investor visa.