NYC man left musician neighbor ‘to die on the steps’ after brutal subway knifing: prosecutors
The Washington Heights man accused of fatally slashing his neighbor in a subway station left his victim “to die on the steps,” prosecutors argued in Manhattan criminal court Saturday before a judge ordered him to stay behind bars without bail.
Diego Figueroa-Hepner, 24, didn’t speak during his 11 p.m. arraignment on second-degree murder charges for the brutal knifing of musician Johnny Medina in the 175th Street station.
“Despite the defendant’s lack of a criminal record, in this case, the defendant commits a brazen crime inside the subway with no regard for the victim’s life, leaving him to die on the steps,” an assistant district attorney told the presiding judge.
“Given the strength of the case and the fact that the defendant is facing life in prison, which gives him great incentive to flee the jurisdiction, remand is necessary and appropriate.”
Peter Laumann, Figueroa-Hepner’s lawyer from the Legal Aid Society, claimed there was more to the story, and insinuated that the 24-year-old was also injured in the bloody brawl.
“My client was arrested at the hospital with a large stab and slash wounds to his legs, arms, and head,” Laumann told the court.
Figueroa-Hepner, who wore green shorts, a white t-shirt and Nike sneakers, had no visible injuries at the arraignment.
After weighing Figueroa-Hepner’s lack of criminal history, the judge ordered the man to be held without bail.
Neither prosecution nor defense attorneys hinted at a possible motive for the slaying, but neighbors and sources told The Post Saturday that the pair — who lived across the street from one another — had previously clashed.
“I guess this guy became pretty obsessed with Johnny, and was posting pretty negative things [on social media] about Johnny…So Johnny filed a police report to complain about this guy maybe a month ago,” Medina’s paternal cousin, Maximo Reves, 42, alleged.
Figueroa-Hepner allegedly wore a balaclava when he ambushed Medina in the station, stabbing him multiple times in the neck and body.
Medina –who was about to board a northbound A train to see a movie with his girlfriend — succumbed to his injuries at Harlem Hospital.
Laumann and Figueroa-Hepner’s father declined when asked by The Post for comment.
The alleged killer is due back in court June 27.
