Migrant teen stabbed to death, another wounded in Lower Manhattan; 3 suspects sought
LOWER MANHATTAN, New York City (WABC) -- Two migrants were stabbed, one fatally, in Lower Manhattan by a group of men who first asked if they spoke English, police say.
The two victims were approached by the trio of suspects on John Street just before 7:40 p.m.Thursday night .
Before the chaos, investigators say words were exchanged when one of the suspects asked the teens if they spoke English. When they replied 'no,' that's when things took a turn for the worse.
When officers arrived, they found two teenage victims with stab wounds.
A 17-year-old boy, identified as Yeremi Colino, lived at the Roosevelt Hotel, was stabbed in the chest and taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, where he died.
Officials say he had no prior history with the police department.
The second victim, 18-year-old Alan Magalles Bello was stabbed in the left arm by a screw driver and taken to the same hospital, where he's expected to recover.
"I was with my friend yesterday, a group of people show up, like a gang, and they pull out a knife towards me and my friend," Bello said.
The NYPD said a knife was recovered at the scene.
Mayor Eric Adams said that the murder could be a hate crime if the investigation concludes "that they were stabbed for not speaking English."
Police say the three men they're looking for are in their 20s with dark complexions. One was wearing a green jacket, white pants and white sneakers. Second was wearing red pants and a red hooded sweatshirt with a black jacket, also had a black backpack. Third was wearing red sweatpants, red hooded sweatshirt, black jacket and blue and white sneakers.
A Pace student who was leaving the dining hall walked right into the crime scene right after it happened, seeing a bloody pair of pliers and a blood covered sharp stick on the ground.
"All the cops started coming down John Street from Broadway, There was a lot commotion, they started yelling at us to get out of the way, and I guess somebody got stabbed with either a pliers or a wooden stick. It was pretty chaotic. Cops were pushing people out of the way, trying to secure the scene and there was a lot of blood, there was a big trail like cross different parts of John Street," student Mason Garrity said.
Pace University released a statement on Friday, saying they are aware of the incident which took place "adjacent to a Pace University building and did not involve members of our community," and stressed that "safety and security of our students, faculty, and staff is our top priority."
This is the fourth murder to take place in the 1st Precinct so far this year, while no homicides took place in the same precinct throughout all of 2023.
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