Boy, 17, charged with NYC murder of migrant teen that sparked revenge call from Tren de Aragua-linked youth gang: cops

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the December stabbing death of a migrant teen over “gang beef” — which sparked a call for revenge from New York City youths tied to the vicious Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, cops said. The teen was arrested on a murder indictment and also faces gang assault and assault charges in connection to the deadly Dec.5 attack on Yeremi Colina, also 17, in Manhattan on Broadway near John Street, police said. Colina – who was carrying an ID from the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Midtown – was also punched and kicked during the fracas, cops said. An 18-year-old man was also knifed in the arm during the brawl, suffering non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. The newly charged teen is the second suspect arrested in connection to the deadly melee – a 16-year-old boy was nabbed on Christmas Eve and charged with gang assault, according to cops and the indictment, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.The pair was “aided by two or more other persons” who remain at large, the indictment said. After the slaying, the Tren de Arugua-linked crew known as Los Diablos de la 42 — Spanish for “the Devils of 42nd Street” — posted threats of revenge on social media, an NYPD official said at the time. “They offered their condolences and noted that their heart is broken, but they also stated, ‘Every Cocolo shot,’” Assistant Chief Jason Savino of the NYPD’s Detective Bureau told reporters Monday.

“A Cocolo is described as Afro-Caribbean migrants, so there is a little bit of a gang beef, and that obviously plays towards motive as well.”A member of the victim’s crew told investigators that their rivals were flashing gang signs, the police official added.“Their response was they wanted to confront them as to why they flashed gang signs, and that’s ultimately the story from the victim’s side,” Savino said. However, surveillance footage reveals the victims’ crew may have been the aggr...