Ron and Elisabeth Brustein watched the Romanian infant they adopted grow from a boy into a young man.

But their dreams for the 17-year-old Plano Senior High student were destroyed in a fight over a girl.

Max Brustein died early Sunday after another teenager stabbed him in a Plano parking lot, police said.

Max "was just turning the corner. He was just now growing up," Max's father said. "The future was right there."

Max hadn't decided whether to join the military or go to college.

But the sports enthusiast wanted a career in law enforcement.

"He would've done it, too," Mr. Brustein said. "He knew what he wanted, and he wanted to be a police officer."

Last month, Max began working at the Cinemark Theatre, a five-minute walk from his home, his father said.

Max wanted to save money for a car, and his father spent the last few months teaching him to drive.

On Saturday, Max spent the evening with friends, his father said.

They drove to his ex-girlfriend's house. According to Mr. Brustein, the girl's current boyfriend, 19-year-old Joshua Torres, discovered them and gave chase in his car.

The pursuit lasted until about 3:45 a.m., when the car Max was in pulled into a parking lot in the 3100 block of Independence Parkway in Plano.

That's when, police say, Mr. Torres stabbed Max once in the chest. Then he drove Max to a hospital.

"He [Mr. Torres] apparently had some conscience," Mr. Brustein said. "But why have a knife?"

Max died about two hours after the stabbing. Mr. Torres was arrested and charged with murder. He was being held Sunday in Plano Jail. Bail had not been set.

Max's family and friends held a candlelight vigil for him Sunday night.

Jessica Rodriguez said her friend wasn't the type to start trouble.

"He would always be the one organizing the pool parties," she said. "As long as everybody was happy, he was happy."

Mr. Brustein said it wasn't the first altercation involving his son and Mr. Torres.

Last June, he said, the family filed a police report saying Mr. Torres left a voice mail threatening to kill Max and his family. Police could not verify that Sunday.