One Dead as Martial Arts Expert Fights Off Muggers
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Police are investigating how a homeless man was killed and two other men were wounded during a thwarted robbery attempt of a martial arts expert late last night in Harlem, police officials said.
At about 11:55 p.m. last night a group of at least two males, Leandro Ventura, 15, and a 22-year-old whom police did not identify, attempted to rob the 39-year-old man, whom police sources identified as Morris Park, at the corner of 139th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, police said.
Mr. Park, who works as a subway train conductor, told investigators that he walking home after his shift at the helm of the no. 5 train when he was suddenly struck on the side of the head with an unknown object, police said.
The suspects, at least one of whom was wielding a knife, began beating Mr. Park while he was on the ground in an attempt steal his bag, police said.
At some point during the struggle, Mr. Park pulled out a knife of his own and turned it on his attackers, police said.
By the time it was over, Mr. Park had suffered a stab wound to the stomach and multiple slashes to his hands, the 22-year-old suspect had sustained stabs to the stomach, and the homeless man, Flonarza Byas, 28, whose role in the encounter was unclear, was mortally wounded.
Police arrived at the scene after receiving a 911 call to find Mr. Park and Byas lying in the street, police said. Ventura and the wounded suspect were taken into custody after they attempted to flee the scene, police said.
The three stab victims were rushed to Harlem Hospital, where Byas was pronounced dead from multiple stab wounds at about 12:45 a.m., police said.
When first questioned by police, the two suspects claimed to be victims, police said. But after further interrogation, police charged Ventura, whose rap sheet includes a felony assault charge, with robbery and assault.
Police initially suspected that Byas was a participant in the robbery but became unsure after learning he had received a summons at a local park an hour before the incident, police said.
Investigators recovered the two knives at the scene of the incident, but it is unclear who stabbed Byas, police said.
Police were waiting for both Mr. Park and the injured suspect to come out of surgeries so they could be further questioned, police said.
