Police and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office have confirmed a third arrest in the murder of Tessa Majors in Morningside Park in December.
News of the arrest comes just four days after Rashaun Weaver was announced by NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea to have been charged with murder and follows another arrest that took place just days after the crime took place.
Now, 14-year-old Luciano Lewis has been indicted for robbery and murder for his role in preventing Majors’ escape from the confrontation, according to the criminal complaint. Weaver has been deemed to be the suspect who held the knife.
“While a criminal process will never fully heal the unimaginable pain suffered by Tessa Majors’ family and friends, this indictment is a significant step forward on the path to justice,” Manhattan DA Cy Vance said. “We are committed to holding these young people accountable, and equally committed to a fair process which safeguards their rights. This is how we will achieve true justice for Tessa and her loved ones.”
But the DA’s office did not confirm reports that Lewis turned himself in Wednesday morning.
The Barnard College freshman was in the confines of the park at about 6 p.m. on Dec. 10 when she was stabbed in what cops believe was a robbery. The high-profile nature of the murder startled the surrounding community who simultaneously cautioned against pressuring law enforcement to make prosecutions happen that would be reminiscent of the Central Park Five.
Shea called the Feb. 14 arrest of Weaver a “major milestone” in the investigation and that NYPD was confident that they had the teen who had stabbed the 18-year-0ld student.
Weaver was charged with two counts of murder in the second degree, one count of robbery in the first degree and three counts of robbery in the second degree, according to Manhattan DA Cy Vance said.
“We’re dealing with a 14-year-old and what I want to say as the district attorney, is that we will be very careful to safeguard all the rights that he has as we go forward with this case,” Vance said on Feb. 15. “We are committed, our office as I know the NYPD is, in fairness in all our cases, but also especially in those involving youth. So, I want New Yorkers to note that we are recommitting today to fairness in this case because only a fair process will result in true justice for Tessa Majors.”
According to Vance, the criminal complaint contained data about Tessa Majors’ last moments in “heartbreaking” detail in which he claims some of her last words were, “help me, I’m being robbed.”
This story will be updated as more information on today’s development becomes available.
