April 3, 2018 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced today that Z’Inah Brown (DOB 01/19/01) has been arraigned for the January stabbing death of another New Rochelle High School student, 16-year-old Valeree Schwab. Brown’s remand continues and she is due back in court on April 17, 2018

Brown has been charged with one count of each of the following charges:

  • Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-1 felony
  • Manslaughter in the First Degree, a class B felony
  • Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a class A misdemeanor

Brown is also charged along with two co-defendants, Dominique Slack (DOB 10/30/2000) and Carl Booker (DOB 07/16/2000), on one count of each of the following:

  • Gang Assault in the Second Degree, a class C felony
  • Stalking in the First Degree, a class D felony
  • Stalking in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor

Slack and Booker, additionally, have been charged with

  • Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor.

Slack is being held in the county jail. Booker has been released on $25,000 bail. Both are scheduled to return to court April 17, 2018.

Background:
On Jan. 10, 2018, prosecutors allege a group of New Rochelle teenagers engaged in a course of conduct directed against Valeree Schwab and a 15-year-old New Rochelle High School student. The gang of teens, including Brown, Booker and Slack, physically confronted and assaulted Schwab outside on North Avenue resulting in a serious physical injury to Schwab. At the time of the assault, Schwab dropped her house keys and one of the teens picked up the keys. Schwab then followed the group to Dunkin’ Donuts, 646 North Avenue, to try to get back her keys and was stabbed by Brown. Schwab was pronounced dead later that day at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.

All of the teenagers were students at New Rochelle High School.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Murphy and Assistant District Attorney Nicholas DiCostanzo are prosecuting the case.

Z'Inah Brown

Z'Inah Brown

In compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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