A 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder on Friday for the stabbing of twin sisters outside a Brooklyn deli, the New York Police Department confirmed.
Veo Kelly, 20, of Stuyvesant Heights ended a five-day manhunt by turning himself in to police with an attorney Friday morning, the NYPD said.
He is charged with the murder of 19-year-old Samyia Spain of Park Slope, who was killed on Sunday night after Kelly allegedly stabbed her in the chest for rejecting his advances.
Spain’s sister, Sanyia Spain, was stabbed in the arm and taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Kelly was also charged with assault and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told WNBC that Kelly was identified in video surveillance from the bodega.
“This guy came out of a party hole down the street, got very aggressive with one of the girls trying to get some contact information,” Kenny told WNBC. “When they didn’t take to his advances, it got verbal. Then it got physical.”
The Park Slope community is grieving Spain’s loss, and placed candles outside the twins’ home.
“Samyia Spain was bright-eyed and ready for the world,” said a GoFundMe set up by Spain’s family to raise funds for her memorial. “She was loving, caring and kind. The life of the party, a star in the making, a leader.”
Mohammed Albhar, who works at the deli where the stabbing occurred, said the girls were regulars there. Albhar was not there at the time of the stabbing, but heard about it from his colleagues at Slope Natural Plus the following day.
“I watched them grow up,” said Albhar. “I know their father and mother. [Samyia] was friendly — a good girl.”
Albhar’s colleagues told him that the girls took refuge inside the store as the man yelled at them and kicked the door from outside. He waited outside the deli for the girls to leave, and stabbed them when they got outside, said Albhar.
Since the stabbing, people have come to the deli to drop off cards and check in with its employees, said Albhar. He has worked at the deli since it opened 16 years ago.
