Suspect in deadly Brooklyn elevator stabbing appears in court

EAST NEW YORK (WABC) -- The man accused of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old boy and critically injuring a 7-year-old girl in Brooklyn returned to court Wednesday.

The appearance marked the first time that relatives of victims PJ Avitto and Mikayla Capers came face to face with Daniel St. Hubert.

The suspect, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit, maintained his innocence in court by pleading not guilty in a hearing that lasted less than five minutes.

St. Hubert, 27, is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault, as well as weapons and graffiti charges.

Police say he attacked the two kids inside the elevator of their East New York building on June 1, while they were headed out to get ice cream.

Capers survived and is recovering at a family member's house.

Relatives spoke about seeing the suspect in court.

"We have to do something about this," Avitto's mother, Aricka McClinton said. "We can't let these people out of jail. I understand that their time is up, but there has to be something in place for these people to go to instead of walking the street and killing people's kids."

"I feel nothing," Capers' great-grandmother Regenia Trevathan said. "I am just concerned about my granddaughter, PJ's family, stuff like that. I have no feelings what so ever towards that person...I'm not at liberty to speak about Mikayla at this time. Hopefully soon, you'll be able to meet her and stuff like that. I just want to thank you all for being supportive for this family."

Police are also investigating St. Hubert's connection to other stabbings across New York City, including one a few blocks away that left 18-year-old Tanaya Grant Copeland dead and another on a subway platform in Chelsea.