A 14-year-old faces no charges after allegedly stabbing and killing his step-father in an apparent attempt to defend himself and his family.
The man, who was allegedly drunk and threatening his family members with physical harm, was killed following a dispute on Wednesday, August 15.
According to police, the victim, Arturo Moreno, 33, was involved in an altercation with his wife inside their second-floor apartment at 97-42 76th Street in Ozone Park when the argument became physical.
Moreno allegedly threatened the woman and their children with a kitchen knife when the man’s step-son, Mohammed Nasser, allegedly became involved, first hitting Moreno over the head with a bottle, and then stabbing him once in the chest.
“He threatened me and my family, so I did what I had to do,” Nasser said in published reports. “I just wanted to stop him from hurting my family.”
“I saw [Nasser] when it first happened,” said a neighbor who declined to give his name. “He admitted that he did it, but I don’t know what exactly happened.”
Moreno was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital and the 14-year-old was taken into custody at the scene.
“It was an accident,” the teen’s mom, Arwa Moreno, said in reports.
“The police came that night to ask my mom questions — that was when I first heard about it,” said Natalie Wilson, 17. “There’s not a lot of crime here.”
Upon further investigation and conferral with Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, no charges are being filed at this time.
An investigation is ongoing, according to the district attorney.
Fatal Motorcycle Crash
One motorcyclist was killed and another injured in a crash on the Jackie Robinson Parkway on August 19.
According to reports, Leon Vanhatten, 47, of Manhattan, and the other rider had stopped eastbound near Metropolitan Avenue when they were struck by a 2001 Acura.
Vanhatten was pronounced dead on the scene; the other rider was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he is currently listed in stable condition.
