More stab pics released
Cops still seek suspects in assault near Times Sq. migrant shelter
The NYPD has released surveillance images of more suspects wanted for a bloody brawl and stabbing outside a Times Square migrant shelter as additional details on the clash emerged in court.
A half dozen people have already been arrested for last week’s melee on 42nd St. near Eighth Ave. that left a 17-year-old boy stabbed in the back. More than a dozen others involved in the brawl are still being sought by police.
The clash occurred steps from the Candler Building, a vacant office tower turned migrant shelter. Police have so far arrested Michael Colome, 22, of Queens, and five teenage boys in connection with the 5:30 p.m. Thursday attack.
Colome was charged with gang assault, assault and weapons possession.
He was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Saturday and remains held at Rikers Island on $100,000 bond.
He was arrested with three 16-year-old boys and two 14-year-old boys, who are facing the same charges.
Prosecutors described the attack as a 23-on-one assault on the 17-year-old that was part of an ongoing violent dispute between two rival groups.
One of the combatants pulled out a knife and chased about a dozen other people down Eighth Ave., witnesses told the Daily News. Cops patrolling the area on foot saw the commotion and ran after the person with the knife.
Colome and others covered their faces with masks and charged at the teen when they saw an opportunity, according to prosecutors. The group chased the teen down twice and he was stabbed during the first of those confrontations, prosecutors said.
For his part, Colome wielded a broomstick during the second confrontation, beating the teen so badly the stick broke in half, prosecutors said. He also repeatedly punched the teen during the lopsided matchup, according to a criminal complaint.
The teen victim, who is believed to be a migrant, was punched and kicked before being stabbed in the lower back by his attackers. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. The attackers ran off into the Times Square subway station.
The victim suffered a punctured and collapsed lung, prosecutors said.
Colome, who has no criminal record, came to the U.S. about three years ago, prosecutors said. His immigration status was not immediately known.
Over the weekend, the NYPD released surveillance footage of multiple suspects still on the loose and asked the public’s help identifying them and tracking them down.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Police released several other photos from the attack Saturday.
The Times Square migrant shelter became the backdrop of a contentious caught-on-video attack on NYPD officers that drew national media coverage in January. The incident, along with photos of one of the migrants later flipping off news cameras outside court, sparked a political firestorm.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg drew sharp criticism after prosecutors did not initially seek bail for the suspects first charged in the assault.
Seven of the 11 asylum seekers suspected of being involved in that attack have since been indicted on a range of charges, each carrying significant prison time. Body camera footage from cops contradicts the police narrative of what sparked the incident.