Last evening, tragedy struck the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, NYC, when Severiano “John” Reyes, a 36-year-old father of four, was fatally stabbed. The assailant, who remains at large, apparently initiated the attack after Reyes confronted him for photographing his cousin at a local bodega.
The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Roebling St. near South 9th St., where Reyes and his relatives were spending time together. The peaceful gathering took a horrific turn when a man began unsolicitedly capturing images of Reyes’ cousin. When Reyes stepped in and interfered with the camera’s lens, the man retaliated by pulling out a knife and stabbing him in the neck, the police reported.
Two of Reyes’ family members were also injured while attempting to intervene: a 45-year-old man who sustained neck and back injuries, and a 27-year-old woman—presumed to be the cousin being harassed—suffered a slash wound to her wrist. They were both transported to New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where they remain in stable condition.
Reyes was taken to Bellevue Hospital following the attack, but unfortunately, his injuries proved fatal. Yvette Reyes, his sister, shared their family’s grief in a GoFundMe post, writing, “My brother was stabbed in an unprovoked attack by someone we don’t know. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries just hours after the attack.” The post aims to raise funds to help with funeral costs.
Reyes, a resident of The Bronx, had a criminal record that included five arrests for robbery and drug-related crimes. He had served two brief prison terms, with his most recent release on parole occurring in January 2019, as detailed by the Daily News.
In the wake of this tragic incident, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been identified. The NYPD is encouraging anyone with information to contact them at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or in Spanish at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or by text message to 274637 (CRIMES), followed by TIP577. All communications will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
Phil Proszowski, a friend of Reyes, offered a heartbreaking account of the incident to CBS News. Proszowski explained that Reyes was defending his cousin from the intrusive photographer. “He and the other neighborhood friend were trying to defend her, basically saying, ‘Why are you taking pictures? Stop taking pictures!’ And the guy just attacked them…They couldn’t save him.”
This tragic event follows a string of similar incidents in NYC. Just last week, a man was fatally stabbed on Pier 84, between the Circle Line tourist terminal and the Intrepid Museum, in Midtown West, Manhattan. And a day prior to that, a Lyft driver was stabbed multiple times in a chaotic robbery attempt by a thief who subsequently jumped off a freeway deck in Lower Manhattan, breaking both legs in the process.