Who was Ethan Reyes? Aspiring rapper, 14, fatally stabbed on Manhattan subway platform by 15-yr-old
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: In a chilling incident, a 15-year-old teen stabbed another 14-year-old teen to death on the platform of the northbound 1 train at the 137th Street-City College station in Hamilton Heights, Upper Manhattan. The stabbing happened before 3 pm on Saturday, July 9. The New York Police Department did not publicly identify the accused because of his young age. However, police identified the victim as Ethan Reyes, an upcoming rapper in Manhattan who performed under the name “Notti Osama".
According to police, the suspect and Reyes of Yonkers were engaged in a tiff on the 137th Street/City College subway station around 3 pm Saturday, July 9. According to the police sources, the two had an ongoing feud. It wasn't clear what it was about right away. Reyes initially pushed the other boy on the tracks, sources said. But, was then stabbed and collapsed on the subway station’s steps while he tried to run, according to police sources. The 14-year-old did not survive his injuries and was pronounced dead at St. Luke's Hospital.
ALSO READ
Who is Melody Maldonado? Superhero mom clings to SUV after carjacker drives off with her children
Elderly Florida couple killed after their Tesla crashes into semi in 37th crash for company
Police found a knife and broomstick at the scene. The teens' movements were captured on security video from the train station, according to NYPD officials. A description of the wanted boy was distributed, which assisted transit officers in locating and apprehending the 15-year-old within hours, according to police. Not long after, police took the suspect, who has not been named, into custody at 173rd Street and Broadway. They say he was bleeding from the back and abdomen and had an injury to his hip. He was treated at a nearby hospital and arrested on weapon and murder charges on Sunday, July 10 morning.
A straphanger described the moment he came face-to-face with the 14-year-old boy on the verge of death. "His lips were purple and his eyes were rolled back, and he was bleeding a lot of blood," the witness said, adding he saw a group of teen girls run out of the station. "They wanted to take his phone." Reyes' family had just moved to Yonkers in May according to their neighbors, The Post reported.
Mayor Eric Adams reinforced the need for the city to expand summer youth programs to keep teens engaged and off the streets. "Hearing about the stabbing really highlights why we need the lights on in schools like this, we need to find out what happened, we’re going to find out the person responsible," Adams said Saturday afternoon.
Earlier this morning, @RepEspaillat and I met with the community at the site of last night’s stabbing in Harlem.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) July 10, 2022
The work of public safety begins with conversations like this. With letting New Yorkers know their leaders are working around the clock to protect them. pic.twitter.com/J5VjJIbqdh
"It's deeply saddening because it's tragic," said Barry Weinberg, chair of Manhattan Community Board 9. "We've also requested for this specific area, from 134th to 140th streets around Broadway, that violence interrupters as part of the Cure Violence program be brought here as they have in other hotspots in the city, and we've never gotten that type of investment," he said.
TOP STORIES
'I am fully aware of their size': Florence Pugh blasts 'VULGAR' trolling over see-through dress
Shocking pics show Spirit Airlines plane catching fire on landing at Atlanta airport
Richard Davey, MTA NYC transit president, said in a statement Sunday, July 10, "We thank NYPD detectives, with whom we cooperated, for the rapid arrest of a suspect". He also said that the attack was not random and that the victim and his attacker knew each other. “He and the victim are said to have known each other further underscores the senseless nature of this tragic incident.”