Police arrested two teenagers over the weekend for the fatal stabbing of another teen in Queens on Friday afternoon, according to NYPD officials.
Officials said Josue Argudo was attacked around 3:45 p.m. Friday on the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 76th Street in Woodhaven. First responders found him in critical condition with a stab wound to his neck, and he was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital.
After releasing photos and descriptions of two potential suspects, police arrested a 17-year-old boy Saturday in connection with the incident, charging him with murder and weapons possession. Officials said he turned himself in to detectives, and they did not identify him because he is a minor.
Then, on Sunday, police said they took 18-year-old Derek Trejo into custody on the same charges. The NYPD said he lives in Long Island City, and Argudo lived several blocks from where he was stabbed.
The teens were arraigned in court late Sunday and sent to jail as the case proceeds, according to the Queens district attorney’s office.
Court records show Trejo was already slated to appear before a judge this week on weapons possession and gang assault charges for a July incident. He was released on those charges without bail, according to the records.
Marc Laykind, the attorney representing Trejo in that case, said he did not know about the new charges against the 18-year-old and declined to comment. Trejo’s attorney in the new case, who is listed as the same attorney representing the 17-year-old defendant, was not immediately reachable Monday.
Josue Argudo
Queens DA Melinda Katz said Trejo confronted Argudo in an argument that soon became physical when Trejo allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed him.
“Despite the assistance of good Samaritans and first responders, Josue passed away a short time later,” she said. “The defendants were remanded at their arraignments and the investigation into this callous act of violence is ongoing. We join the family and friends of Josue as they mourn his loss.”
Police said they were still investigating what sparked the fight between the teens.
Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who represents the area in Congress, posted on social media she was “heartbroken” by the killing. “This violence in our community is unacceptable and must end,” she wrote.
An online donation page created by one of Argudo’s relatives to help pay for his funeral expenses noted he arrived in the United States last year “to pursue his dreams” and was walking home from school when he was attacked.
This is a developing story based on preliminary information from police and has been updated with additional details.
