Teens Dined As Delivery Man Died: Police

(CBS)  Five New York City teens have been charged with murder for calling in a $60 order for Chinese food, then beating the delivery man to death to avoid paying, police say.

The teens allegedly fled with a bag of food to one of the boys' houses and ate, leaving 44-year-old Sheng Jin Liu for dead with several hundred dollars in his pocket and in his car.

"That's the most disturbing part, the eating of the food," one investigator tells the Daily News.

"He was killed without provocation and without reason," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. "It was a shocking crime which leaves us all shaking our heads as to why these kids would do what they are accused of doing."

Los Angeles was recently stunned by a series of seemingly senseless murders involving young teens.

The teens had no criminal records and are mostly from middle class families, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The four boys and one girl, ages 14 to 17, have each been charged with second-degree murder; first-degree manslaughter, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.

The suspects admitted "they were going to forcibly take the food from the victim," Detective Douglas Diesu said.

Liu's wife called police when he did not return to the restaurant within 15 minutes. Police were led to the teens by tracing the cellular telephone call used to place Friday's order for General Tso's chicken, shrimp lo mein, chicken and broccoli and shrimp egg foo yung, authorities said. The teens were arrested Tuesday.

The grandmother of 17-year-old Stacy Royster, accused of using her cell phone to order to an abandoned house, says the girl suffers from bipolar disorder, reported The Daily News.

Investigators say the youths had already eaten Chinese food earlier in the day but wanted more.

Because they had no money, they allegedly plotted to surprise the deliveryman at an abandoned house, throw a blanket over his head, and run away with the food.

An investigator tells The Daily News, "They were going to give him a 'blanket party' and hit him a few times so he couldn't identify them....It was a stupid idea that went bad real fast."

When the deliveryman got out of his car, 16-year-old James Stone threw the blanket over him and the others began hitting him with their fists, police say.

A fourteen-year-old allegedly hit Liu at least three times in the head with a brick.

Also charged were Darryl Tyson, 17, and James Murphy, 17.

If convicted, the teens face 25 years to life, except for the 14-year-old, who was charged as a juvenile and faces nine years.


CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report