Teen Charged in Man's Stabbing Death Near Times Square, Search for 2 Suspects Ongoing Police have arrested a 17-year-old boy for stabbing and killing a man near Times Square earlier this week, according to NYPD officials. The teenager was taken into custody Wednesday evening near Stillwell and Surf avenues in Coney Island after officers from the local precinct spotted him jumping a turnstile. Authorities later found a scalpel on him, though officials are still investigating whether it was the weapon used in the Midtown attack. The victim, identified as Leonides Baez, 39, was stabbed to death Monday night outside a building on West 43rd Street near Broadway. Police reported finding Baez around 11:30 p.m. with stab wounds to his torso and back, as well as a slash wound to his face. First responders transported him to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The teen was charged with murder and criminal weapons possession, the NYPD stated. According to police, the suspect later told investigators he attacked Baez as part of a social media trend. Details about the suspect’s lawyer or his identity were not immediately available, as he is a minor. Baez’s last known address was in Worcester, Massachusetts, according to the NYPD. Department data revealed two other homicides in the Midtown South Precinct this year through May 3, which includes Times Square, Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station, Madison Square Garden, Koreatown, and Manhattan Mall Plaza. This marks a significant increase compared to the same period last year, when no homicides were recorded in the precinct. Crime statistics for Midtown South show that all other major categories—such as robbery, burglary, and assault—are down or stable compared to 2025 levels.#nypd #worcester_massachusetts #leonides_baez #times_square #midtown_south_precinct
