15-year-old arraigned in deadly Queens stabbing. NYPD data shows more young people are committing felonies.
NEW YORK -- A 15-year-old girl was arraigned Friday in the deadly stabbing of a teenager in Queens. It comes as NYPD data shows more young people are committing felonies.
The suspect allegedly told police she was going to get bail and her father would pay for it, but that did not happen; the judge remanded her.
The 15-year-old's mom was in the courtroom, weeping as she listened to the details.
Sara Rivera, 17, stabbed to death in Sunnyside, Queens
The deadly stabbing happened Wednesday night outside a subway station near Queens Boulevard and 46th Street. Surveillance video shows two girls who appear to be fighting.
Prosecutors say the 15-year-old stabbed her friend, identified as 17-year-old Sara Rivera, after a trip to Wendy's, then she tried to flee. When a witness tried to stop her, prosecutors say she pointed the knife at him.
When police arrived, they say Rivera was on the sidewalk, critically injured. She was taken to a local hospital, where she died.
The victim's boyfriend told CBS New York the suspect was Rivera's classmate and friend.
She has been charged with murder, and prosecutors plan on adding an attempted murder charge for allegedly pointing a knife at that witness.
The suspect is due back in court on May 14.
NYPD data shows uptick in assaults involving young people
According to NYPD data, more young people are committing major felonies. In 2023, the number arrested jumped by 40%.
On Tuesday, 16-year-old Mahki Brown was shot in the head a block from his school after police say an argument broke out.
On May 2, another 17-year-old girl was stabbed to death in the Soundview section of the Bronx. In that case, another 15-year-old girl was charged with her murder.
In Harlem in April, cell phone video showed New Yorkers helping a teen who was shot and survived.
Until last year, Kevin O'Connor ran the NYPD's Juvenile Justice Division. The former assistant commissioner has retired, but he still tracks the numbers.
He says in the first four months of 2024 compared to 2023, more young people were arrested for assault -- 785 compared to 728. He also says more young people were victims of assault. O'Connor says there are a couple of reasons why this is happening.
"Simple reason is we're not putting the resources towards the kids," he said. "They have dismissals at 12:30 in the afternoon. Why? Why are kids being dismissed from high schools at 12:30? Not a couple, thousands."
O'Connor says the NYPD is spread thin -- handling the migrant crisis, transit crime and protests.
"More cops need to be around the schools at dismissals. We used to have corridors outside of schools where we'd have business, communities, school safety agents," he said. "It was a continuous system to protect the kids coming to and from school."
A spokesperson for the Department of Education says the school day must be six hours and 20 minutes long, and how long it is depends on agreements with the union. They say their top concern is student safety.
