A teenage boy has been hospitalized following a violent incident at a luxury Upper West Side apartment building, with police now on the hunt for the attackers. ABC7NY reports that the 16-year-old was encircled and slashed in the back by a group in the lobby of Waterline Square, a high-end residential complex where rents for a one-bedroom can soar to $7,500 monthly, shortly after 10:45 p.m. yesterday.
The victim, believed to be a resident of the building on West 61st Street, was transported to Mount Sinai Morningside in stable condition, while the four young men believed to be involved fled the scene on foot, and at this stage, there have been no arrests made in connection with the case and the lobby where the incident occurred has been turned into a crime scene with detectives collecting evidence. "I think this is horrible. It's crazy to think this stuff is happening so close to home for me," Rafael Castro, a resident of the building, told ABC7NY. "Yeah, it's crazy to see this stuff on the sidewalk of my building. Generally living in this building is a great experience, that's why it's even more surprising that something like this would happen so close."
The AM New York describes the injuries sustained by the teen as slash wounds to his back, left shoulder, and left wrist. Despite the brutality of the inflicted injuries, a motive behind this assault has not been firmly established; however, neighbors have indicated there have been previous concerns regarding youths in the building. The investigation by the 20th Precinct officers, who responded to the apartment complex at approximately 10:46 p.m. following a 911 call, remains ongoing.
Authorities are appealing to members of the public for any information that might assist in the apprehension and prosecution of the individuals involved, asking witnesses or anyone with knowledge of the incident to come forward, individuals with information regarding this incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), tips can also be submitted online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or through the X platform @NYPDTips, with all communications being kept confidential.
