A 17-year-old surrendered to New York police on Thursday, accompanied by his attorney, and was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old man at a Midtown Manhattan subway station, a law enforcement source told NBC New York. Police have not released the teenager's name because he is a minor. The charges are allegations, and he has not been convicted.
Source: NBC New York
The teenager was taken into custody at about 12:25 p.m. on Thursday at the Midtown North Precinct, the NYPD said, according to the Citizen timeline of police reports. He faces charges of second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a loaded weapon, the New York Post reported, in reporting carried by several outlets including CBS News New York and ABC7 New York.
Darrel Rodriguez, 26, of University Heights in the Bronx, was shot once in the chest on Saturday, October 17, on the northbound E train platform at Seventh Avenue–53rd Street, at about 12:21 p.m., police said, and later died at Bellevue Hospital. Authorities said the shooting began with a fight between the two on the platform that at some point moved into a subway car and back to the platform, though it was not clear exactly where the gunfire erupted, NBC New York reported.
A Manhattan district attorney's complaint cites subway surveillance video showing the altercation and a gun pointed at Rodriguez, and detectives reported finding a 9mm shell casing inside the train car, according to a summary of the complaint. The teenager's attorney says he denies involvement. The allegations have not been tested in court.
Rodriguez worked as a security guard at the front desk of a Manhattan building, lived in the Bronx and cared for his ailing father, according to neighbours and relatives cited by the New York Post. Neighbours described him as a “beautiful kid.” He leaves behind two brothers, including a twin who serves in the military and lives in Texas.
Riders described hearing a shot and then at least three more, and a rush for the exits. “We had just gotten in there, we were sitting down… all of a sudden, I heard a shot… there was a mass exodus. Everyone started running out,” one rider told NBC New York. Charlton D'Souza of the rider advocacy group Passengers United condemned the violence, saying riders are the ones suffering. No court outcome has been reported, and the case will proceed through the courts.