Police Question Man In Stabbing Of 17-Year-Old Queens Girl
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Monday were questioning a man in connection with the brutal knife attack on a Queens teenager last week.
No charges have been filed in the stabbing of 17-year-old Natasha Martinez, CBS 2 reported, but the victim's family was breathing a little bit easier after hearing about the apparent break in the case.
"You give me the best news," Wendy Martinez told CBS 2's Don Champion on Monday.
Natasha Martinez was walking home from work alone around 11 p.m. last Monday when a man came up behind her on 85th Street and stabbed her nearly a dozen times in front of her Woodhaven apartment building, police said.
Authorities initially said they thought the stabbing was random.
Police Question Man In Stabbing Of 17-Year-Old Queens Girl
But as WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported, Natasha Martinez reportedly told investigators she had gotten into some sort of dispute with a gang member before the incident.
She was taken to Jamaica Hospital and underwent surgery for wounds to her back, arms, stomach and kidney.
Police released a surveillance video showing the stabbing suspect moments before the attack, strolling along wearing a hoodie. That video helped lead investigators to the man they spent Monday questioning. They said they also recovered a knife that had been dropped at the scene.
A source said police were checking out a possible alibi before the man in custody may be charged, Silverman reported. He was being questioned at the 102nd Precinct on Monday while Martinez remained in the hospital recovering from her injuries.
Police have been investigating whether the stabbing might be related to another incident that occurred in June.
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