The boyfriend of a 16-year-old girl who was stabbed to death inside a Manhattan apartment was arrested Monday night, police said.
Zyaire Crumbley was charged with murder after Saniyah Lawrence was found gashed in the neck in a Harlem apartment on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard Sunday evening, according to police. Officers had responded to a call about a stabbing and found Lawrence, who lived on West 112th Street.
She was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later.
The 18-year-old Crumbley was quickly identified as a primary suspect in the case. The NYPD said the killing may have occurred after some sort of argument. The nature of the dispute wasn't clear, but police said that Crumbley was seen on surveillance video coming out of the same building where Lawrence died just minutes before police arrived at the scene.
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A neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said she recently heard loud noises and people arguing from inside the apartment.
"Just a lot of odd behavior. I've heard people just moving back and forth, seems like people were running and at times throwing different things," the neighbor said.
A motive for the killing was not immediately clear, however. On Tuesday, dozens of people gathered to pay their respects to Saniyah and show their support for her grieving family at a vigil organized by a domestic violence group.
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Attorney information for Crumbley, who turned himself in to police Monday night, was not immediately available. He was led out of a police stationhouse in handcuffs without saying a word to reporters.
Anyone with information on Crumbley is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
