A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the December stabbing death of a migrant teen over “gang beef” — which sparked a call for revenge from New York City youths tied to the vicious Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, cops said.
The teen was arrested on a murder indictment and also faces gang assault and assault charges in connection to the deadly Dec. 5 attack on Yeremi Colina, also 17, in Manhattan on Broadway near John Street, police said.
Colina – who was carrying an ID from the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Midtown – was also punched and kicked during the fracas, cops said.
An 18-year-old man was also knifed in the arm during the brawl, suffering non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
The newly charged teen is the second suspect arrested in connection to the deadly melee – a 16-year-old boy was nabbed on Christmas Eve and charged with gang assault, according to cops and the indictment, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
The pair was “aided by two or more other persons” who remain at large, the indictment said.
After the slaying, the Tren de Arugua-linked crew known as Los Diablos de la 42 — Spanish for “the Devils of 42nd Street” — posted threats of revenge on social media, an NYPD official said at the time.
“They offered their condolences and noted that their heart is broken, but they also stated, ‘Every Cocolo shot,’” Assistant Chief Jason Savino of the NYPD’s Detective Bureau told reporters Monday. “A Cocolo is described as Afro-Caribbean migrants, so there is a little bit of a gang beef, and that obviously plays towards motive as well.”
A member of the victim’s crew told investigators that their rivals were flashing gang signs, the police official added.
“Their response was they wanted to confront them as to why they flashed gang signs, and that’s ultimately the story from the victim’s side,” Savino said.
However, surveillance footage reveals the victims’ crew may have been the aggressors, Savino noted.
“They’re traveling towards the group of six male blacks, and what they’re doing is they’re actually calling and at one point, jogging towards that opposing group,” Savino said. “Ultimately, the two groups engage, and I will say this — both sides both had weapons.”
“The victim actually swings an unknown object in a downward motion just prior to being stabbed by one of the perpetrators,” he said.
In addition to the knife, two wooden sticks were recovered from the scene in addition to a pair of pliers, according to Savino.
“All indications at this point, as far as motive is concerned, is that this is a crew-motivated incident,” Savino added.
The 17-year-old suspect was ordered held without bail during his Wednesday arraignment and is set to reappear in court on April 1.
The younger teen was arraigned in December and ordered held on $100,000 cash bail, $250,000 insurance company bond and $300,000 partially secured surety bond.
His next court appearance is scheduled for April 2, records show.
