Man arrested after New York teen stabbed, set on fire
A man has been arrested in the death of 18-year-old Winston Ortiz who was stabbed and set on fire near his home.
A teenager in the Bronx was stabbed and set on fire which resulted in his death and now a man has been arrested for the attack.
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The New York Times reports that Winston Ortiz was stabbed in the chest before being splashed with a flammable liquid and set on fire while alive on Wednesday, only one block away from his home. He died later at the hospital. Adones Betances, 22, the brother of Ortiz’s former romantic interest, is charged with manslaughter and murder in the violent act.
His arrest came the following day.
According to the NYT‘s source, law enforcement believes the two young men had an argument about the nature of Ortiz’s relationship with Betances’ 15-year-old sister. The outlet details the young break-up which left Ortiz in down spirits.
“He said, ‘I miss her.’ You know, the puppy love. I told him, ‘You are young. You are going to find 2,000 more girls, trust me,’” says Victoria Cruz to NYT. She is an aunt whom Ortiz and his family visited shortly after the relationship ended.
Family members tell the NYT a phone call from the ex-girlfriend got Ortiz excited and hopeful as he left the house, only to never return.
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Cruz established a GoFundMe for the parents grieving the loss of their child. The campaign has currently exceeded the goal of $25,000 with a total of more than $35,000 raised at the time of publication.
“Winston Ortiz was loved by all who came to know him. He was active in his church and a role model for all of his younger brothers and cousins. He was bound for greatness,” she writes on the landing page.
Community members shared memories of a positive young man with dreams and potential. A neighbor tells NYT he was not able to find “one thing negative to say,” about Ortiz and his family. A former teacher informed the NYT of the teen’s love for art and science, saying he had “so much potential.”
Another neighbor says, “It’s heartbreaking because I’ve never seen anything else but going to work and going to church.”
According to the NYT, Betances claimed to had been framed at his arrest. Ortiz is survived by his parents, two younger brothers, grandparents, and multiple aunts, uncles, and cousins.
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