17-year-old arrested for man's crime on Times Square attributed to viral challenge
The suspect stated that he and two accomplices chose the victim at random as part of an online trend
A 17-year-old was arrested for the fatal stabbing of a man in Times Square earlier this week.
The suspect told the police that the murder of Leonidas Baez, 39 years old, which occurred on Monday night, originated from a trend in social networks, according to police sources informing CBS News New York.
The suspect added that he and his two accomplices chose the victim randomly as part of an online trend that encourages “getting with”drug addicts,” according to the same sources.
The police continue to search for the two suspects. It is still not known whether the incident was recorded on video for dissemination on social networks.
The police immediately began the search for three men who fled the scene in an easterly direction. They did not provide much description of the suspects, only indicating that one was dressed completely in black.
However, on Thursday morning, the New York Police Department (NYPD) reported the arrest of a young man. 17 years old. His name has not been revealed due to his age. He is charged with murder and illegal possession of weapons.
According to police sources, officers detained the suspect after he allegedly jumped a turnstile at the Stillwell Av subway station. Agents found him a scalpel and quickly determined that he was wanted for questioning in connection with the Times Square incident.