Violent Venezuelan gang vows revenge after teen killed in stabbing during fight

NEW YORK CITY, NY - Authorities with the New York Police Department (NYPD) said that a youth gang with ties to the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) vows revenge after a 17-year-old illegal immigrant was stabbed to death during a street fight.

According to the New York Post, the crew, Los Diablos de la 42 — Spanish for "the Devils of 42nd Street" — are posting their threats to social media after the fight led to the death of Yeremi Colino. On Monday, December 9th, Assistant Chief Jason Savino of the NYPD's Detective Bureau said in a statement, "They offered their condolences and noted that their heart is broken, but they also stated, 'Every Cocolo shot."

He said, "A Cocolo is described as Afro-Caribbean migrants, so there is a little bit of a gang beef, and that obviously plays towards a motive as well." Officials said that the fight that killed Colino broke out on Broadway near John Street on Thursday, December 5th around 7:30 p.m., with the teen boy getting punched, kicked, and stabbed.

Savino said that a Walgreens employee witnessed the violence and in "typical New York fashion," pulled the heavily bleeding Colino into the drug store with the knife still lodged in his chest. The wounded teen, who was carrying ID from the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Midtown, was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Another victim, an 18-year-old, also believed to be in the United States illegally, was knifed in the left arm an suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the fight. Savino said, "All indications at this point, as far as motive is concerned, is that this is a crew-motivated incident."

A member of the victim's crew told investigators that their rivals were flashing gang signs. Savino added, "Their response was they wanted to confront them as to why they flashed gang signs, and that's ultimately the story from the victim's side." Savino noted that surveillance footage, however, reveals the victims' crew may have actually been the aggressors. 

Savino said, "They're traveling towards the group of six male blacks, and what they're doing is they're actually calling and at one point, jogging towards that opposing group. Ultimately, the two groups engage, and I will say this — both sides both had weapons." He added, "The victim actually swings an unknown object in a downward motion just prior to being stabbed by one of the perpetrators." 

In addition to the knife, two wooden sticks and a pair of pliers were recovered from the scene. Initial reports indicated that the suspects asked the teen victims if they could speak English before launching the attack, but on Monday, Savino said there is no indication of that exchange.

Video released by the NYPD shows three suspects backing away and running off after the deadly clash. Cops said the three suspects fled into the nearby Fulton Street subway station. Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-7577-8477. All calls remain confidential. 
 
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