New York City police said this week that a man who was originally approached by officers for smoking inside a Brooklyn subway station turned out to be wanted for murder in connection to a 2020 slaying.
Authorities said they took Luis Hernandez, 36, into custody on Friday after police ran his name and found out he is implicated in the February 2020 killing of Richard Hernandez, 21 and no relation.
The suspect, who has no prior arrests, was transported from Brooklyn to Queens to be questioned by detectives.
Police said Mr. Hernandez made incriminating statements during his interview and was subsequently charged with murder, gang assault and weapons charges.
The suspect pleaded not guilty during his arraignment hearing Saturday in Queens criminal court.
The judge ordered Mr. Hernandez to be held behind bars. His next court date is scheduled for Thursday.
“Mr. Hernandez is a committed father of a young child,” Mahmoud Rabah, the suspect’s lawyer, told the New York Daily News. “He is a hardworking immigrant who has held a stable job in a meat processing plant for years. He completely maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court.”
Mr. Hernandez is accused of joining a group of other suspects who stabbed Hernandez to death on Feb. 9, 2020.
Police said surveillance footage shows the suspect and at least two other men arguing with another group of men outside of the Dutch Kills bar in Queens.
The argument escalated into violence, police said, and Hernandez was punched multiple times and then stabbed by a sharp object.
He died at a hospital later that night.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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