Subway station murder suspect reportedly had samurai sword, victim’s credit cards at time of arrest
Suspect arrested after man beaten to death in busy Brooklyn subway station
Police say a man was brutally beaten to death inside a busy Brooklyn subway station in broad daylight, as horrified commuters looked on. A suspect was arrested hours later in Times Square thanks to citywide alerts sent to officers’ phones. FOX 5 NY’s Sharon Crowley has the latest.
BROOKLYN - The suspect accused of beating to death a 64-year-old man earlier this week inside a Brooklyn subway station was arrested on Wednesday, allegedly carrying a samurai sword and the victim's credit cards.
Who is David Mazariegos?
What we know:
According to police, 25-year-old David Mazariegos, of the Bronx, faces two counts of murder, robbery and grand larceny charges after allegedly beating to death Nicola Tanzi at the Jay Street–MetroTech subway station in Downtown Brooklyn.
Sources tell FOX 5 NY’s Sharon Crowley that Mazariegos confessed to the murder. She's also told he has a long rap sheet with as many as 15 prior arrests, including a felony back in July. Mazariegos had a samurai sword with him at the time of the arrest, as well as the victim's credit cards, the sources said.
Mazariegos is expected back in court on Thursday.
The backstory:
Mazariegos encountered the victim on Tuesday afternoon at the subway station near Willoughby and Bridge streets, police said. Cops responding to 911 calls found the victim unconscious and unresponsive with trauma to his body. He was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in critical condition, where he later died.
Sources told the New York Post that Mazariegos pummeled Tanzi’s face repeatedly and stomped on his head up to 15 times in what police described as an unprovoked attack.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says right after the attack, the entire NYPD received an emergency alert to their phones with a picture of the suspect. She says cops near Times Square recognized him and took him into custody.
Local perspective:
The deadly encounter has left subway riders shaken.
"I saw a lot of police officers around – more than usual," one commuter told FOX 5 NY. "Then I realized someone was killed. That’s insane."
Another rider added: "It’s so dangerous. Terrible. Bad."