Manhattan's legal apparatus swung into motion as District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced the indictment of 62-year-old Saul Sanchez for the fatal stabbing of a teenager and injuring another man in East Harlem. According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, the charges against Sanchez include one count of Murder in the Second Degree and counts of Attempted Assault and Assault in the First and Second Degrees, respectively.
In an altercation on the evening of January 3, Sanchez allegedly attacked the two individuals, resulting in the death of the 17-year-old and wounds inflicted upon his 22-year-old friend, as noted by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Ordering food inside a restaurant located at 2102 2nd Avenue, the conflict that began there spilled onto the streets, claimed a life, and left another scarred. "Saul Sanchez’s alleged conduct caused the senseless death of a 17-year-old boy and a horrific tragedy for that boy’s loved ones," Bragg commented on the indictment, signifying that violence such as this has no place in our community.
Details provided by court documents and statements reveal a chilling sequence of events: Sanchez's altercation with the victims, Carlos Rivas, merely 17, and his 22-year-old friend, quickly escalated to violence. Sanchez reportedly stabbed Rivas twice, once in the chest and once in the stomach, after knocking him down. Amidst the chaos, Rivas' friend attempted to stop the attack by hurling a chair at Sanchez, only to be stabbed in the arm. After the brief and violent encounter, Sanchez fled, only to return about 15 minutes later, leading to his arrest.
The case has been entrusted to Assistant D.A.s Christine Keenan and Christina Awad, with oversight by Assistant D.A. Robert Ferrari, Chief of Trial Bureau 40, and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo, Chief of the Trial Division, as per the Manhattan D.A.'s Office. They thanked the NYPD's detectives, Percy Quispe and Karlina Cortes from the 23rd precinct, collaborating in the investigation and eventual apprehension of Sanchez.
