The homeless teen who allegedly murdered one man and injured a second in a Manhattan park stabbing last week was a newly arrived migrant, according to police sources.
According to authorities, a 15-year-old, who police have not named, had been camping out in Sara D. Roosevelt Park along with 25-year-old Alonso Pasquale and 29-year-old Alonso Lucas when the trio got into some kind of argument that turned physical on Nov. 16.
“Witnesses state a male Hispanic, 15-year-old, perpetrator is swinging an object at the other two males, which later turns out to be stab wounds to the chest for both,” Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
The incident apparently began with the teen stabbing Pasquale in the chest before Lucas attempted to intervene. Lucas was assaulted by being knocked to the ground, stomped on, and stabbed. The attack was reportedly witnessed by a nearby group playing cards.
Both victims were rushed to Bellevue Hospital where Lucas survived but Pasquale died as a result of the stabbing.
According to Chief Kenny, detectives were able to discern the teen’s clothing from eyewitness reports and video footage, leading to cops cuffing him for the murder.
Police have since learned that the fresh-faced killer was a new arrival in the Big Apple, migrating from Guatemala in 2023. The boy had apparently been camping in the troubled park for some time, an area that is known for a large homeless and migrant population. Law enforcement believe the child migrated to the U.S. by himself. They have not been able to locate his parents.
“We’re working with ACS to try to make notifications to his family,” Chief Kenny said.
The victims were New York natives who were known to police and had previous arrests dating back to 2017.
The park itself has become a troubled spot for locals with police saying the area has had 4 robberies, 11 felony assaults, and 26 misdemeanor assaults this year.
The 15-year-old was charged with murder, attempted murder, attempted assault, and assault. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office will make the decision whether to charge the teen as an adult.
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