A 33-year-old man who lived at a Queens homeless shelter was allegedly stabbed to death by a fellow resident of the facility — which neighbors ripped Thursday as a beacon for crime that is now spiraling out of control.
The victim and another man, 28, were fighting around 10:10 p.m. Wednesday in Baisley Pond Park, across from the Garden Inn & Suites hotel in Jamaica, where some of the rooms are being used by the city’s Department of Homeless Services, cops said.
The victim, who was stabbed in the chest, back and neck, was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
A 40-year-old security guard was also stabbed in the right leg and right hand as he tried to break up the fight, cops said. He was taken to the same hospital in stable condition.
And the suspect, who was slashed in the leg, was also taken to Jamaica in stable condition. He is in police custody but wasn’t immediately charged.
A witness told police he saw a man walk up to the victim, saying, “That’s what you get for f—king with me” before strolling back across the park, toward the hotel, police sources said.
There, cops found him in possession of a knife with blood stains on it, according to the sources.
A knife and a box cutter were recovered, cops said.
“It started right out front of the facility,” another resident said Thursday morning. “It’s over somebody owing somebody money. They went over by the bathrooms. The guard heard what was up. He tried to [intervene]. He got cut. It’s so stupid. It’s all over a measly couple of dollars. These people don’t know what a gift life is.”
The fight happened minutes after the shelter residents were required to secure their beds by 10 p.m., the man said. If a resident doesn’t secure their bed, they lose it, he said.
In late January of 2020, Jose De La Cruz, 54, was knifed to death outside the same hotel, cops said.
De La Cruz was just around the corner from his apartment on 135th Avenue when he was killed, police said.
It was not clear whether anyone from the hotel was connected to that stabbing.
A 28-year-old woman who lived nearby her whole life and declined to give her name, said the shelter has brought its share of problems to the neighborhood.
“Shelter’s been here about 3 years,” she said. “Last year or so, cars started getting broken into. Out of control now, every night! My son can’t go in the park. Not even in daytime! Look! Like a prison yard. … Walking around drinking out [of] brown bags! All day, every day! It wasn’t like this back when it was the airport hotel. Never like this.”
“Anything not nailed down disappears,” said a 64-year-old neighbor who identified himself as Mike L. “Steal right out of the front yard. Junkies! I yelled at a guy a couple days ago, like 10 in the morning going through my garbage, on the side of the house. Day is worse than night. Now they’re killing each other — and we’re next.”
“This ain’t getting better,” he added.
In a statement to the Post, the city said the incident is under investigation.
We’re reviewing the matter and will direct the provider to make any changes that may be determined necessary,” said Isaac McGinn, spokesman, Department of Homeless Services.