A 17-year-old was arrested late last week in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Worcester man in New York City, police said.
On May 4, officers were called to the stabbing near 132 West 43rd St. shortly after 11:30 p.m., a police spokesperson said. At the scene, police found Leonides Baez, 39, with stab wounds to his chest.
Baez was taken to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, where he was declared dead, according to police. Three suspects were seen fleeing the scene.
On Thursday, police arrested a 17-year-old in connection with the stabbing. The teen boy is facing charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
CBS News New York identified the boy as Jayden Sanchez.
The New York City Police Department didn’t immediately respond to MassLive’s request for information.
Sanchez told police the stabbing was inspired by a social media trend that calls for “messing with crackheads,” CBS News reported, citing police sources. The trend promotes attacks on homeless people, according to NBC 4 New York.
Police are still looking for two other suspects in Baez’s killing, the news stations reported. Sanchez and two other suspects had been taunting Baez before stabbing him, NBC 4 reported.
Baez’s sister told NBC that her brother wasn’t homeless and had been traveling the world.
“I’m going to get justice. It’s going to happen,” Catalina Baez told the station.