Migrant teen charged after stabbing man over photo refusal

On a recent evening in New York City, a violent incident occurred near Times Square involving a 13-year-old migrant boy and his friends. The group approached a 23-year-old man, requesting that he take their picture. When the man declined their request, the teen and his friends reacted aggressively. They began to physically assault the victim, striking him in the face and using a knife to stab him in the back and leg. Reports indicate that the suspects attempted to steal the victim's cellphone, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The assault happened around 9 p.m. at the intersection of West 40th Street and Second Avenue. Law enforcement arrived on the scene and managed to apprehend the teenage suspect shortly after the incident, while three others managed to escape. The arrested boy, whose last known residence is the Roosevelt Hotel—known for its history of violence—was charged with second-degree robbery. The victim, despite sustaining superficial stab wounds, refused medical assistance at the scene, indicating that he did not require further treatment. This incident is part of a concerning trend regarding juvenile crime in New York City, with law enforcement noting an increase in the number of young individuals involved in serious criminal activities. NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael Lipetri highlighted that there has been a significant rise in juvenile arrests, emphasizing that many of these offenders are implicated in multiple robberies, typically dealt with under Family Court statutes. The arrested teen was previously involved in another criminal incident in late October, showcasing a pattern of behavior that raises alarms about youth violence and the effectiveness of the current judicial responses to juvenile crime.