Richardson bartender still recovering after May stabbing attack

RICHARDSON, Texas - The bartender who was attacked in a May stabbing in Richardson says she can still see the "darkness" in her attacker's eyes from that night.

Richardson bar stabbing victim recovering

What they're saying:

"There was something about the way he spoke to me or the way he looked at me that didn’t sit right with me."

Feliciana "FeFe" Cansino has worked at Good Vibes Bar and Grill in Richardson since the restaurant opened in 2020. In Feb. 2026, a stranger sat down that caused tension in the bar.

"I asked him what he’d like to drink, he asked for a soda, went and got it, brought it to him — then…he threw money at me," Cansino tells FOX 4's David Sentendrey. 

"At that point, I’m like, ‘you know what, I don’t think this is a good fit. I’m going to ask you to leave.’"

That stranger, 28-year-old Stephen Kwembe, returned on May 8 and stabbed Cansino and three other bar patrons. All four were hospitalized following the attack.

"When I looked up he was like, ‘Do you remember me?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He was like, ‘You wouldn’t serve me then,’ and I said, ‘And I’m probably not going to serve you this time either, so might as well leave.’"

Richardson Police said earlier that day Kwembe attempted to retrieve a gun confiscated by police related to a drug paraphernalia charge, but was unable to retrieve it.

Kwembe later called a non-emergency line at the Garland Police Department, telling them he was going to Good Vibes Bar and Grill to kill someone.

"There was just a darkness in his eyes that I’d seen the first time, but this time was even more. More. There was nothing behind his eyes. Just darkness," Cansino continued.

When officers arrived at the scene, Kwembe was standing outside the restaurant's entrance. Kwembe refused to drop his knife and advanced towards the officers, at which point two officers opened fire, striking and killing him.

Cansino was stabbed seven times, and spent a week in the hospital following the attack. She says she wouldn't be here without the men who jumped in to stop Kwembe.

"I can never repay them for jumping in and saving me," Cansino said. "And putting their own bodies on the line."

What's next:

Cansino hopes to return to Good Vibes Bar and Grill in the future, but is now focusing on her physical and mental health, with physical therapy ongoing.

"Some wounds are not visible. They’re just within you and time to heal takes longer than the actual physical of it."

A GoFundMe to help Cansino's recovery efforts can be found here.