Suspect Charged In Death Of Brooklyn Professor To Be Arraigned

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man accused in the brutal murder of a Brooklyn professor is set to be arraigned.

Police say 28-year-old Mirzo Atadzhanov has been charged with murder and burglary.

As he was led from the 70th precinct in handcuffs, Atadzhanov claimed the murder he is now charged with happened in self-defense.

"I was defending myself," he told reporters.

Sources tell CBS2 66-year-old Jeremy Safran was found beaten to death with a hammer in the basement of his Ditmas Park home Monday night. The suspect was found covered in blood and hiding in a closet.

Police say the attack appears to be random and the motive remains unclear.

Safran was a professor of psychology at The New School.

In:
• Brooklyn