Teen Charged In Bronx School Stabbing Skips Court Appearance
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A teenager accused of stabbing two fellow students, one fatally, at a school in the Bronx was a no-show in court Tuesday.
Abel Cedeno, 18, faces multiple charges including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
Cedeno's attorney, Debra Rush, waived his court appearance, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.
She also said the teen will testify before the grand jury.
Police said Cedeno stabbed and killed 15-year-old Matthew McCree and critically wounded 16-year-old Ariane Laboy at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation last week.
Police said Cedeno admitted to buying the knife online after weeks of being bullied at school, but said neither teen who was stabbed had any prior issues with Cedeno.
"First time these kids bothered him by throwing pencils at him. He bought the knife two weeks ago just to have a knife. Other students harassed him verbally in the past," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said.
McCree's mother, Louna Dennis, and friends came to court Tuesday expecting to face his accused killer.
"Well he didn't show today, but eventually he has to show for the matter. He has to show," Dennis said outside the courthouse. "I have to see him eventually. And I'm going to be at every court appearance."
The Legal Aid Society issued a statement last week saying they were representing Cedeno, adding that it was "reviewing the facts and circumstances of this case including the long history of bullying and intimidation Abel has endured."
In response to the incident, the school installed metal detectors.
