Man who stabbed Times Square food vendor screamed at him, ‘Do you want to die?’: DA

The antheral who stabbed a Times Square nutrient cart vendor successful an attempted robbery pursuing a dispute implicit the terms of a blistery dog flashed a brace of scissors and screamed, “Do you privation to die?” earlier lunging astatine his victim, Manhattan prosecutors said Wednesday.

The 32-year-old unfortunate was trying to halt Malik Butler, 23, from stealing an e-scooter parked adjacent his cart erstwhile the fishy flashed his weapon, but the vendor managed to wrestle the scissors distant from him during the clash astatine W. 43rd St. and Seventh Ave. astatine 2:30 a.m. Monday, according to tribunal records.

“I’m going to termination you!” Butler threatened arsenic helium moved toward the vendor, lone to person the scissors snatched from his grasp. The nutrient cart vendor tried to propulsion him away, but Butler began pounding connected him arsenic his 2 accomplices, Kymani Santiago and Jeremiah Dilworth, some 19, joined in, according to prosecutors.

All 3 attacked the vendor arsenic cops were called to the scene.

Fellow blistery canine cart vendor Abelwitb Issa, 39, connected Tuesday told the Daily News that helium had tried to defuse the volatile situation.

“We’re moving connected the corner,” helium said, recounting however a radical of men had past surrounded the victim. “There are a batch of guys, possibly 7 oregon eight. Some of them had knives.

“My friend… they punched him successful the look astatine slightest twice, and they stabbed him twice,” Issa said. “I went to help. One of them came astatine maine with a knife. I said, ‘Calm down. Calm down. I emotion you. Calm down.’”

A fewer moments earlier, Butler had stepped up to the victim’s cart and complained astir the outgo of a blistery dog, constabulary sources said. As the 2 quibbled implicit the price, Butler stepped distant and tried to bargain the e-scooter.

Responding officers apprehended Santiago and Dilworth by the nutrient cart, but Butler ran off. He was yet tracked to the subway presumption astatine W. 42nd St. and Eighth Ave., wherever helium reportedly spot a constabulary serviceman trying to subdue him connected the hand.

Officers jolted Butler with a Taser earlier taking him into custody, cops said.

The nutrient cart vendor was knocked to the crushed during the fight, cops said. After everyone was successful custody, helium realized that helium had been stabbed successful the chest. EMS rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, wherever helium received 10 stitches for his injury. He besides had a achromatic oculus and a divided lip, constabulary noted.

A co-worker, a 37-year-old man, was besides punched and kicked during the combat but did not request aesculapian treatment.

Cops charged each 3 men with assault, pack battle and attempted robbery. Butler was ordered held connected $50,000 bail portion his 2 accomplices were granted supervised release, meaning they were placed successful a programme that volition guarantee their instrumentality to court.

However, based connected the severity of the charges, a Manhattan adjunct territory lawyer asked the justice to clasp Butler connected $150,000 and Santiago and Dilworth connected $50,000, prosecutors said.

Butler has 9 anterior arrests, including for battle and robbery, constabulary said. Records amusement helium was paroled successful August aft serving much than 3 years successful authorities situation for a Queens robbery conviction. His alleged accomplices each person 1 anterior subway apprehension — Santiago for fare evasion, Dilworth for effort to perpetrate fraud.

Originally Published: November 6, 2024 astatine 1:25 PM EST