Ex-Con Knifed Kids In Elevator
The suspect arrested last week for fatally stabbing a 6-yearold boy in an East New York apartment house earlier this month has roots in Cypress Hills, law enforcement sources stated.
Police collared Daniel St. Hubert, 27, of Jamaica Avenue last Wednesday, June 4, at a location within the confines of the 113th Precinct, a short time after Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William Bratton identified him as the prime suspect in the June 1 murder of Prince Joshua Avitto, 6.
Reportedly, Avitto and a 7-yearold girl were brutally stabbed inside an elevator at the Boulevard Houses complex in East New York. Avitto later died of his injuries; the 7-yearold girl is still recovering.
Following his arrest and a psychiatric evaluation, law enforcement sources said, St. Herbert appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court last Thursday, June 5, for arraignment on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Judge Raymond Rodriguez reportedly ordered St. Herbert held without bail; the suspects faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted, according to Kings County District Attorney Kenneth Thompson.
“Prince Joshua Avitto was taken far before his time and his family will struggle with his death for years to come, as will [the injured girl],” Thompson said in a statement last Friday, June 6. “We are committed to seeking justice for them and to holding this defendant accountable for his actions.”
Police said the attack occurred at 5:40 p.m. on June 1 inside an apartment tower at the Boulevard Houses located at 845 Schenck Ave. Reportedly, Avitto and the 7-year-old girl were observed entering the building a short time before St. Hubert walked into the location.
While inside an elevator, it is alleged, the suspect repeatedly stabbed the children multiple times about their bodies, then fled from the scene on foot.
Officers from the 75th Precinct and EMS units responded to the scene. Avitto, who was found on the elevator floor, was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The girl, who reportedly managed to exit the building shortly after the assault, was hospitalized for a lacerated spleen and multiple stab wounds.
Police recovered a blood-covered steak knife at the scene and performed genetic testing, law enforcement sources said. The tests indicated the knife had DNA material matching St. Hubert’s genetic profile, prosecutors noted.
Reportedly, St. Hubert previously served a prison sentence for assaulting his mother; during his time in jail, he was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.
According to published reports, St. Hubert was released from prison last month, just days before the deadly assault.
Members of the 75th Precinct Detective Squad and the NYPD Brooklyn North Homicide Squad conducted the investigation.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick L. O’Connor, deputy chief of the DA’s Gang Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Nicole L. Chavis, bureau chief, and Kenneth M. Taub, chief of the DA’s Homicide Bureau.
