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
RI Orders Man Held in Immigration Controversy A man accused of assault and battery in Worcester, Massachusetts, who authorities claimed was also facing a murder charge in the Dominican Republic, has been ordered taken back into custody by a federal judge in Providence, Rhode Island. The case sparked international attention after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) criticized U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose for allegedly releasing Bryan Rafael Gomez while knowing he had a warrant for murder in the Dominican Republic. However, it was later revealed that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island had not disclosed the murder warrant until after Gomez’s release. The office later apologized to the judge for the oversight. The controversy unfolded during a remote hearing on Monday, where DuBose indicated she was considering holding the federal government in contempt of court over what she described as a “breach of trust.” The hearing resumed on Tuesday, with DuBose stating she would refer the matter to a disciplinary committee for review. She emphasized the need for a formal investigation into the lack of candor toward the court, stating, “It’s the candor and the lack of candor to this court that has to be addressed, and it has to be formally investigated so we don’t have anything like this happen again.” U.S. District Attorney Kevin Bolan acknowledged that his office had not yet provided a certified translation of the arrest warrant, instead offering an uncertified translation generated by AI to Judge DuBose and Gomez’s attorney for review during a recess. Bolan argued that the AI translation supported the claim that the warrant was valid, though he admitted it might not meet legal standards due to potential liabilities with AI-generated documents.#dominican_republic #bryan_rafael_gomez #melissa_dubose #kevin_bolan #worcester_massachusetts
