WORCESTER, Mass.- A 39-year-old Worcester man was fatally stabbed late Monday night on a Midtown Manhattan street near Times Square, and a 17-year-old is facing murder charges in connection with the attack, according to investigators.
Authorities said Leonides Baez of Worcester was found stabbed and slashed on West 43rd Street at approximately 11:30 p.m. Monday, May 4, 2026. The location is near the entrance to the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
Baez was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators said the stabbing stemmed from a verbal dispute involving the victim and at least three suspects. It remains unclear whether additional individuals are being sought.
The 17-year-old suspect, whose name has not been released due to his age, was later stopped by police while allegedly jumping a subway turnstile at the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn.
Police said officers ran his information through the NYPD’s Domain Awareness System, which flagged a link to the Midtown homicide. A scalpel was found in his possession, according to investigators.
The teen was taken into custody and brought to a precinct, where he reportedly confessed to the killing.
He is charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
Subscribe to The Shrewsbury Post Updates
