A Brooklyn man was arrested for allegedly stabbing another man to death outside of an East Elmhurst homeless shelter, authorities say.
According to police, at 9:40 p.m. on Nov. 5, officers responded to a 911 call regarding a man stabbed outside of the Landing Family Shelter, located at 94-00 Ditmars Blvd. Upon their arrival, police found 38-year-old Abdul Silas unconscious and unresponsive with puncture wounds to his torso.
The victim, whose identity is being withheld at this time, was rushed to NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst, where he was pronounced dead.
Following an ongoing investigation, police arrested Richardo Henry, 34, on Nov. 7. He was arraigned before the Queens Criminal Court on charges ofsecond-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Sources familiar with the investigation state that Henry used to live at the shelter. According to the indictment, Henry was allegedly seen on surveillance footage having an argument with Silas. As the argument got more heated, Henry allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Silas multiple times in the abdomen.
Henry is currently being held without bail and is due to return to court on Nov. 15. If convicted, Henry faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
“Violence is never an acceptable way to end an argument,” said acting District Attorney John M. Ryan. “In this case, the defendant is alleged to have repeatedly plunged a knife into the victim’s torso. This was an act of senseless violence that will never be acceptable. The defendant now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life locked behind bars.”
Updated at 1:45 p.m.
