WATERBURY, Conn. — A neighborhood dispute led to a 14-year old boy stabbed to death Wednesday afternoon on Colonial Avenue.
That boy has been identified as Angel Velez, 14, of Waterbury.
The suspect, Jeimy Cintron, 27, of Waterbury has been charged with murder. He faced a judge Thursday morning at Waterbury Superior Court.
The 16-page arrest warrant stated he suffers from multiple forms of mental health issues which may have led to the incident.
A vigil was held Wednesday evening on Colonial Avenue just hours after Velez's death.
Police said it was shortly after 1:30 p.m. when officers responded to the area for a report of an assault with a knife.
That was when they found Velez stabbed in the chest and he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said it has been a tough couple of weeks.
"It’s always heart wrenching when adolescents and younger children were involved in acts of violence," Spagnolo said. "I think we’ve talked a lot about some of the situations from last week in the shooting. This is a little different. This is a neighborhood dispute."
Waterbury Public Schools released a statement in response to Velez's death, saying the school community has suffered a tremendous loss.
WPS officials continued: "On Wednesday, September 29, a student was tragically killed in a senseless act of violence. We extend our deepest condolences to the student’s family. A crisis team has been mobilized to support students and staff as they grieve. Our school community and the city will come together to do everything we can to provide support to our students, staff and families during this extraordinarily difficult time."
The arrest warrant states Cintron's wife told officers she saw her husband arguing with a group of kids by Dorchester and Colonial Avenues.
She went on to say the kids threw up their hands as if they were about to fight Cintron and moments later, she saw Velez walk away bleeding.
Cintron's wife said her husband suffers from Schizophrenia, Bi-polar and Multiple Personal Disorder.
An organization called, "Ice the Beef," run by city residents believed it all started with more mental health services and resources.
"I do know there is a rise in a lot of mental health issues and lot of people having to be quarantined and be inside. It's affecting a lot of us in many ways," Darryl Copeland, vice president of Ice the Beef Waterbury told FOX61.
In the warrant, it also states that Velez had past interactions with Cintron.
Velez initially told Cintron to drop the kitchen knife and would instead, fight him. When Cintron obeyed and the fight began, he at one point picked the knife back up from the ground and stabbed Velez.
Ice the Beef will be holding a march and rally Sunday at 3 p.m. It will begin at B.W. Tinker Elementary School and end at Duggan School with a balloon release.
A GoFundMe fundraiser was created to honor Angel's memory and cover his funeral expenses. To visit the page and or donate, click here.
Carmen Chau is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at cchau@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
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