Danbury police connect fatal stabbing to ‘ongoing feud’

DANBURY — The fatal stabbing of Willy Placencia at the city skate park two months ago stemmed from an ongoing feud between two local groups, according to recently unsealed court documents.

Police responded to a report of a fight at the Danbury City Center Skate Park around 6:30 p.m. March 18 and found 21-year-old Placencia lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds.

Placencia was transported to Danbury Hospital, where he later died from injuries to his lungs, liver and kidney. He had also been stabbed in the forearm and buttock, according to police.

Witnesses told police that a group of suspects had fled the scene of the March 18 stabbing in a gray Dodge Charger, which authorities traced back to 20-year-old James Lema-Zaruma.

Police discovered that Lema-Zaruma had been driving around the evening of March 18, with four passengers in his car — 18-year-old Nykeem Hawkins, 19-year-old Kenaas Council and two unidentified teens, ages 15 and 16.

As they were driving past the skate park, Hawkins and one of the teens recognized Placencia, got out of the vehicle and started fighting with him, according to the affidavit.

The fight was initially between Hawkins and Placencia, police said.

“It was reported that Nykeem had brass knuckles and was punching Willy … Nykeem’s friends and Willy’s friends then jumped in and they all began to fight,”the affidavit states.

Police said Lema-Zaruma, who initially denied being near the skate park that day, never exited his vehicle.

During the fight, one of the teens from Lema-Zaruma’s car pulled out a knife, according to police. After Placencia was stabbed, Hawkins, Council and the two teens ran back to the car and took off.

Police learned that the incident stemmed from “an ongoing feud between rival Danbury groups that had been going on for approximately two years.”

Lema-Zaruma said the problem had to do with a “diss” video Placencia and his friends made about the group Lema-Zaruma, Hawkins and one of the teens associated with, according to the police affidavit.

After the altercation at the park, Lema-Zaruma dropped Council and the two teens off near the Triangle Street apartment of 36-year-old Shalina Tallman — the mother of one of the teens — before dropping off Hawkins near a relative’s Rowan Street residence, according to police.

When police executed a search and seizure warrant at Tallman’s residence March 20, she told them she had not seen her son since March 18, according to the affidavit. Police said Tallman also “refused to prove a contact number for (her son) or attempt to call him.”

Two days after warrants were issued for the arrest of Lema-Zaruma, Hawkins, Council and the two juveniles on March 24, police said they learned that Tallman had checked her son and Hawkins into the Naugatuck Motor Lodge and Madison Motor Inn in East Hartford following the fatal stabbing.

Tallman was later arrested and charged with second-degree hindering prosecution for rendering criminal assistance to her son and Hawkins.

The 16-year-old was arrested March 26, and charged with firstdegree manslaughter and conspiracy to commit manslaughter, first-degree assault, first- and second-degree conspiracy to commit assault, and breach of peace.

Hawkins was arrested the following day and charged with first-degree

conspiracy to commit manslaughter, first-degree conspiracy to commit assault, second-degree assault and conspiracy to commit assault, and breach of peace.

During an interview with detectives, police said Hawkins told them he went to Tallman’s after learning Placencia died.

Hawkins told police he and the teen stayed in Tallman’s bedroom the nights of March 18 and 19, and he went with them to a hospital in Yonkers, N.Y., so the teen could get his leg stitched after accidentally stabbing himself during the skate park fight.

After the hospital visit on March 19, Hawkins said Tallman drove them to the motel in Naugatuck, according to the police affidavit.

Hawkins told police he parted ways with them March 22 or 23, because he “began to feel like something ‘fishy’ was going on with Shalina,” and he spent the next several days and nights in Waterbury.

Hawkins is charged with firstdegree conspiracy to commit manslaughter, second-degree assault, firstand second-degree conspiracy to commit assault and second-degree breach of peace.

Council turned himself in on the warrant for his arrest on March 30, and was charged with second-degree conspiracy to commit assault and breach of peace. Police said the 19year-old claimed to have gotten out of Lema-Zaruma’s car because his teen cousin followed Hawkins and the other teen and he “did not want (his cousin) to get involved.”

“I was only trying to protect my cousin,” Council told police.

The 15-year-old involved in the March 18 altercation was also arrested March 30. He was charged with firstand second-degree conspiracy to commit assault and breach of peace.

Council was released from custody after posting 10 percent of a $20,000 bond and has a plea hearing scheduled for June 17. Hawkins also has a plea hearing scheduled that day and remains in custody on $100,000 bond.

Lema-Zaruma is facing a class B felony assault charge for his alleged involvement and has a plea hearing scheduled for June 24 at state Superior Court in Danbury. Tallman is scheduled to be arraigned the same day.