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June 09, 2015 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Antonio Barnett (DOB 01/11/93) of 220 Woodworth Avenue, Yonkers, New York was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with:

• one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A” Felony,
• one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a class “D” Felony.

On April 18, 2015 at 6:27 a.m. the Yonkers Police Department received a 911 call from a security guard at the rear gate of the Schlobohm Houses (8 Schroeder Street) reporting that a man was at the gate with a knife attempting to stab another man.

He stated the defendant, later identified as Antonio Barnett, chased the victim, David Benitez down the ramp leading to the apartment buildings.  

Just a few minutes before, surveillance video taken at a deli located at 45 Palisade Avenue shows Benitez exiting the deli sipping coffee.

The video shows Barnett immediately running up to the victim whereupon he plunges what appears to be a large kitchen knife into his victim’s back.  The victim then runs and the defendant pursues the victim with the knife in hand to the apartment complex where he shuts the rear gate to escape the defendant who is still wielding the knife.

The police responded to the rear gate and found Benitez bleeding heavily.  He was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx and died in surgery two hours later.

Minutes later, based on witness descriptions of Barnett, other members of the Yonkers Police Department located him at nearby gas station and placed him under arrest.

The knife was recovered on the roof of a nearby building.

The defendant was remanded to the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla.

His next court date will be on June 30, 2015.

The defendant faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.

 Assistant District Attorney Laura Murphy of the Superior Court Trial Division is prosecuting the case.

In compliance with Disciplinary Rule 7-107A of the Code of Professional Responsibility, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.