What to Know
- Rohan Burke, 17, was stabbed to death in the middle of the afternoon in Brooklyn on Monday, authorities say
- His parents say he wanted to be a prosecutor when he grew up and was never the type to provoke a fight; they tell News 4 they're devastated
- Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS
UPDATE: NYC Mom, Her Teen Son Arrested in Brazen Stabbing Death of 17-Year-Old Brooklyn Boy
The parents of a 17-year-old boy stabbed to death in broad daylight near a pizza shop in Brooklyn Monday say their son was a respectful kid who wanted to be a prosecutor when he grew up. And they shared a gut-wrenching account of his final moments.
According to the story Rohan Burke's say detectives told them, two young males and a girl walked up to their son on Avenue M and East 17th Street in Midwood around 4 p.m. One of the males stabbed Burke, then passed the knife to the girl, some of which played out on surveillance video, the parents said they were told.
A worker at a nearby pizza shop heard the screams and ran out to try to help Burke. He was the one who called 911.
It wasn't clear how many times Burke was stabbed.
Burke's family -- and his neighbors -- are heartbroken. All say the boy wasn't the least bit argumentative and would never provoke a fight. They can't fathom why he would have been attacked -- and cops say a motive remains unclear.
"Please, if you know who did this or if you are the person, please have a heart and turn yourself in," his tearful mother said. "My son didn’t deserve to die this way. He just turned 17 years old. He was a baby."
"The best part of his life hasn’t even come yet and someone is out there who knows what happened to my son," she added.
Law enforcement sources say police arrested 38-year-old Barbara Galloza of the Bronx. She is charged with tampering with physical evidence and hindering prosecution. Sources say she is the woman seen in the video getting the weapon.
Police say they have a male in custody for questioning, but no charges have been filed against him.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
