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Officers in New Rochelle arrested a 15-year-old suspect - whose name is being withheld due to his age - who has been charged with hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence both felonies, New Rochelle Police Capt. Robert Gazzola said. The charges stem from his actions at the crime scene on the day of the fatal stabbing.
Since the suspect is a juvenile, his case will be adjudicated in Family Court, Gazzola said.
According to police, officers responded to Dunkin' Donuts on North Avenue shortly after 12:20 p.m. on Jan. 10, where there were reports of a fight involving multiple high school-aged students. During the dispute, Valaree Schwab, 16, suffered two stab wounds to her torso from a steak knife. She was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, but was pronounced dead there later in the afternoon.
Yonkers resident Z’inah Brown, also a student at the high school, surrendered herself to police in New Rochelle the day after the fatal stabbing. She is facing a second-degree murder charge.
Video later released shows Schwab and a friend at Subway on North Avenue, briefly interacting with a group of seven people, including Brown. The group had reportedly been following Schwab for several blocks, harassing her.
The fatal stabbing was following by several other violent incidents involving students, and the manhunt continues for a student involved in a stabbing on Jan 18, according to police.
“We are working closely with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office to identify those individuals involved and what roles they may have played,” Gazzola said. No other arrests are imminent.
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