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Bryan Stamps, 15, was in Westchester County Court on Tuesday for a pretrial conference following his extradition from Alabama last month. Stamps has been charged as a juvenile offender on charges that include second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child.
At approximately 8:50 a.m. on Jan. 18, the New Rochelle Police Department received a call from security guards at New Rochelle High School reporting that a stabbing had occurred at the school, and the suspect was seen on video fleeing the building, New Rochelle Police Capt. Robert Gazzola said.
The teen had managed to stay clear of law enforcement for four months until he was arrested on Monday, May 14 in Alabama, officials said. He has been remanded into custody at Woodfield Cottage in Valhalla without bail.
Stamps was held in a juvenile detention facility in Alabama while the New Rochelle Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney’s office determined the details of his extradition for several days.
According to Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino's office, "a child who is 13, 14, or 15 years old and commits a felony or other violent act may be treated as a juvenile offender. The case is heard in the Supreme or County Court like adult cases, but the case can be transferred to Family Court. This is decided on a case by case basis. Convicted juvenile offenders can be punished like adults. They are placed with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services until their 16th birthday, then can be transferred to prison. Juvenile Offender’s criminal records are not sealed, unless the case is sent to Family Court."
Gazzola said that Stamps' 16-year-old victim suffered two puncture wounds to his torso and was transported to Jacobi Medical Center, where he underwent surgery and was treated for serious injuries, Scarpino noted.
The stabbing was the third in a string of violent incidents involving New Rochelle High School students over a span of several days in January, including the fatal stabbing of Valaree Schwab. The incidents have led to several security upgrades and a task force designated for improving safety in the district.
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