Two teenagers have been implicated in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Venezuelan migrant Yeremi Colina in New York City's Financial District last December. According to Gothamist, a Manhattan grand jury has indicted the pair, with one being charged with second-degree murder and both facing gang assault charges. The altercation that led to Yeremi's death occurred on Dec. 5, 2024, near John and Nassau streets. After an argument, Colina was stabbed in the chest and was later pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.
Police have not believed the suspects, arrested on different dates, to have known Colina or the 18-year-old he was with during the attack. Yeremi and his family, who migrated from Venezuela in December 2023, were residing in the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter, said his mother, Beritza Colina. She confided to Gothamist, "As a mom, they killed me with him. It's horrible to feel like I'm still looking for him. I call his phone and he doesn't respond."
On the same thread, NY Daily News reports the second teen’s capture with the involvement of the NYPD released surveillance images within 24 hours of the killing, hinting at a conflict between the Los Diablos de la 42 gang and an Afro-Caribbean group. An argument escalated into a brawl that saw the flashing of gang signals and set off a confrontation leading to the stabbing. NYPD Assistant Chief Jason Savino explained the brawl’s nature as "sparked by an ongoing beef between migrant crews."
Yeremi Colina's memory as an avid soccer player and a brave sibling who once saved his brother from drowning during their perilous journey to the United States stands in stark contrast to the violence of his end. An unnamed Walgreens employee is credited with providing refuge to the wounded Yeremi, dragging him inside the store and contacting emergency services. Alan Magalles Bello, Yeremi's friend who was with him during the incident, was less seriously wounded and narrated the confrontation to NY Daily News, “I was with my friend yesterday. A group of people show up, like a gang, and they pull out a knife towards me and my friend.” The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to seek at least one more suspect related to the killing.
The second teen charged in the murder was apprehended as part of NYPD's efforts to resolve the case, with court dates pending for the accused.
