Man fatally stabbed during dispute in Greenwich Village

Friday, May 13, 2022

Derick Waller reports from the crime scene along 6th Avenue at West 4th Street.

GREENWICH VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) -- A 28-year-old man was fatally stabbed in a dispute in Greenwich Village early Friday.

Police say the victim, identified as Samer Abdalla, of Brooklyn, got into a dispute with four others on Sixth Avenue near West 4th Street at around 1:30 a.m.

One of the suspects stabbed him in the torso outside the Papaya Dog shop, and he was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

Abdallah's brother, who was there with him, told police it was a petty dispute over a lighter.

The incident happened while Mahendra Khusihal was at work below ground, doing track work for the MTA.

"He was stabbed, and he fell behind the car," said Khusihal, whose Toyota ended up becoming part of the crime scene. "And that's where they found him and took him to the hospital."

Four suspects fled the scene. So far, no arrests have been made.

Homicides are incredibly rare in Greenwich Village, and the NYPD 6th Precinct had zero homicides in all of 2021.

"People have nothing else to do, and I guess people out here want to hurt each other," said Jeremy Valentin, who works nearby. "It's sad, man. It's sad."

Some neighbors say they are concerned about the large crowds who have been gathering here late at night.

"It's absolutely scary what's going on," Ryan DelFavro told Eyewitness News. "Someone got stabbed, and if it doesn't change now...Mayor Adams has to do something. Because if he doesn't, it's going to continue running rampant in this city."

Sxith Avenue was shut down in the area for about six hours as police investigated.

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