New York police arrested a homeless 15-year-old in relation to the stabbing death of a man and assault of another man.
The Deputy Commissioner of Public Information said that police were called to Broome Street and Delancey Street in Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan on Tuesday at about 8:32 p.m. They found 25-year-old Pasquale Alonso and another 24-year-old male with stab wounds to the chest.
Both victims were transported to NYC Health and Hospitals in Bellevue, where Alonso was pronounced dead. The other victim was reported to be in stable condition.
Police said they arrested a 15-year-old suspect on Saturday and charged the teenager with murder, attempted murder, attempted assault and assault. The teen’s identity was not released because they are underage.
The New York Daily News reported that the victims and the suspect are all believed to be homeless.
Sara D. Roosevelt Park is known as a hotspot for homeless encampments, drug deals, and drug usage. WABC-TV spoke with a man who sleeps at the park, and he told them drinking and fighting is common in the area.
In Feb. 2022 residents around the park in Chinatown told Spectrum News N1 that drug use and violence had increased during the pandemic and they were afraid to be near the park at night.
“Sometimes you see someone that look at you like they want to attack you, that is why you do not feel safe,” said resident Sarry Lau.
They said that the city hadn’t done much to mitigate the situation despite the growing number of needles and other drug paraphernalia being found at the park.
“Right at dusk, it empties out really quickly because they just don’t know who is going to be following behind them or walking behind them,” said long-time resident Mary Cheng.
Others took the side of the homeless people camping at the park.
“People sleep on the streets because they feel it is their only option,” said a spokesperson for the coalition for the homeless.
The second victim is expected to recover from his stab wound.
Here’s more about the stabbing attack:
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