18-year-old arrested in connection to fatal stabbing near Barclays Center in Brooklyn
PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Police have arrested an 18-year-old in connection to a stabbing that left a 27-year-old man from the Bronx dead near Barclays Center less than two weeks ago.
The suspect, Noah Rentas of Brooklyn, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon on Tuesday.
A grieving mother waited to see him as police led Rentas out of the 78th precinct Tuesday night, but her biggest question remains unanswered.
"Why did you murder my son," said the victim's mother Marisol Miranda.
A motive for the attack on 27-year-old Michael Hernandez outside Barclays Center 11 days ago is still a mystery.
Miranda says she only knows a group of teens jumped him then walked away.
"And after they walked away there was a second incident with the same group of kids," she said. "The only thing, this time my son walked away stabbed, up and died right on the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic."
A vigil was held at that spot Friday night for Hernandez, who had no criminal history, just some mental health issues he had been struggling with, according to his family.
Police are still searching for at least three more suspects.
Miranda says she won't rest until each one is brought to justice.
"You were man enough to pick up a knife and stab my son to death? I want you to do time," Miranda said.
The arrest of Rentas is actually his first, and it may be the key to cracking the case and shedding some light on what went down outside Barclays as a concert played inside that night.
Miranda says she wants to know why, but nothing could possibly justify an attack so violent. She says she will become an advocate, as she put it, to stop families from losing their kids to the streets.
"We need to do better as a community for these young kids, because he just threw his whole life away," Miranda said. "18 years old. Still in high school. Could've become somebody."
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