Murder Charges Dropped Against Fishmonger Accused Of Fatal Stabbing
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office dropped murder charges against a Harlem fishmonger who allegedly stabbed a man said to have attacked his coworker over shrimp.
The incident occurred inside the Fish Express Fish Market on St. Nicholas Place near Edgecombe Avenue in Sugar Hill when an individual came in and attempted to steal shrimp.
Junior Aquino Hernandez, 34, was initially arrested and charged with murder for knifing one brother Malik Burrell, 25, and wounding the other, 29-year-old Robert ‘Bobby’ Burrell.
Pedro Laza, a 60-year-old witness, stated that Robert “tried to stick a lobster down his pants.”
According to the New York Post, Robert allegedly walked into the store and ordered shrimp but then tried to leave without paying after arguing with an employee, Francisco Morales.
Morales followed him outside the store, and Burrell punched him in the face before running away.
Minutes later, Robert returned with his brother, Malik, and went to the restricted area of the store behind the counter.
Malik began to assault Morales, repeatedly punching him in the face and knocking his teeth out.
Hernandez tried to separate the two, unable to break up the fight. Consequently, he grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed Malik, still punching Morales.
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As Robert pulled his injured brother outside of the store, Hernandez allegedly stabbed him three times in the hand and abdomen, causing a punctured lung.
“Nobody stopped him stabbing,” Laza said. “He was like a machine.”
Malik died from his wounds, and Robert was listed in stable condition, although suffering from a punctured lung and other Injuries, the Daily Mail reported.
At the scene, Robert Burrell, 49, sobbed as he saw his sons’ blood stains.
“My sons were good kids, they ain’t get in no trouble, they not no hard criminals,” Burrell told The Post. “I’m crushed man, I’m hurt. I can’t believe my boy was killed over some shrimps. They killed my baby on his birthday.”
“I know damn well my sons aren’t stealing nothing,” Robert said. “They have money. They have money on their cash app and they had money in their pocket. It’s crazy that they say he try to steal,” he added.
Hernandez’s wife, Estephanie Reyes, said, “I do believe he was defending himself. … I believe he was in a situation where it was his life or the other person’s life, or he wouldn’t have done this.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office dropped the murder charges against Hernandez and released him from custody, stating, “At the time we are not prepared to go forward with the charges related to the death of Malik pending a full investigation.”