A skateboarding community in the Philippines is mourning the loss of one of its own after 19 year old skater and university student Zanter Troy Dela Cruz Soriano was fatally stabbed during a gathering in Tuguegarao City.
According to reports, the incident happened in the early hours of July 15, 2026, inside a house in Atulayan Norte where a group of friends had been drinking.
Soriano, a student leader and member of the Boys of M3 Cagayan Valley Zone skating team, reportedly stepped in after a 23 year old man allegedly began harassing younger skaters who were also at the gathering.
What started as an argument quickly escalated into a physical fight. During the confrontation, Soriano was allegedly stabbed multiple times by Vincent Danga, a resident of Iguig, Cagayan.
Friends rushed Soriano to San Raphael Hospital in an attempt to save his life, but despite emergency treatment, he was pronounced dead at around 2:35 AM by his attending physician.
Following the incident, the suspect fled the area on a motorcycle. Police later tracked him down in Iguig just hours after the stabbing and placed him under arrest. Authorities also recovered the knife believed to have been used during the attack.
Police said criminal charges are now being prepared against Danga in connection with Soriano's death.
News of Soriano's passing has spread throughout the local skateboarding scene, where many remembered him as an active skater who also served as a student leader.
His death has left friends, teammates, and fellow skaters grieving the loss of someone they say stepped in when younger riders needed help.
The case remains under police investigation as authorities continue gathering evidence surrounding the fatal stabbing.