NYPD officers on Monday arrested a 53-year-old homeless man in connection with a fatal stabbing inside of a Kips Bay men's homeless shelter on Friday morning. The suspect, William Smith, was charged with murder.
Smith's victim, since identified as 56-year-old Marcus Guerreio, was discovered around 8:30 a.m. on Friday lying in a shelter bed with a laceration to his neck. NYPD officials confirmed last week that they were questioning all 67 men who had been on that floor at the time of the incident. The 30th Street Men's Intake Shelter at 400 East 30th Street, also known as Bellevue Shelter, is the intake center for all NYC men who are new to the system, or are returning after a minimum six-month hiatus.
Friday's stabbing was the latest in a rash of violent deaths at NYC shelters that have prompted Mayor de Blasio to revamp security measures. "This incident is exactly why we are working with NYPD to improve shelter security," Steven Banks, the City's newly-appointed Commissioner of Social Services, told reporters last week.
The NYPD is also investigating Smith's connection to a robbery attempt in Queens over the weekend. According to the department, police officers responded to 5840 Van Cleef Street near the Horace Harding Expressway in Corona around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday. There, they discovered a 43-year-old livery cab driver with slash marks on his back and neck.
The driver had allegedly dropped off his passenger on Van Cleef Street near the Corona Holiday Inn and asked for a fare, at which point the passenger demanded the driver's money and allegedly slashed him before fleeing the scene. The NY Times reports that the suspect left behind his cellphone and wallet, with ID that matched Smith.
Smith was arrested at the corner of Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street, according to the Post. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing.
