Teen Charged in Fatal Stabbing That Police Say Was Inspired by TikTok
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Jayden Sanchez, a 17-year-old boy, was charged with second-degree murder, assault, robbery, and other offenses related to the stabbing death of Leonides Baez in Times Square, which police say was motivated by a TikTok trend involving harassment of homeless individuals.
- The attack occurred after Sanchez and two others confronted Baez, who was sleeping on the street, as part of a social media challenge to "mess with crackheads," leading to Sanchez stabbing Baez in the chest and causing his death.
- TikTok condemned the violent incident, stating that no content related to the attack or similar behavior was found on the platform and emphasizing that the event was a case of horrific violence, not a trend.
- Sanchez was arrested after being caught jumping a subway turnstile in Brooklyn, where officers also confiscated a scalpel he was carrying; despite being a minor, his case is being prosecuted in criminal court with prosecutors seeking to keep it out of Family Court.
