No Arrests Have Been Made; Investigation is Ongoing. New York, NY - Police on the Upper West Side are investigating the fatal stabbing of a man who tried to intervene during a home invasion early Friday morning. The victim, 46-year-old Alfred Soto, was attacked and killed inside the 6th-floor apartment of a longtime friend at …
Upper West Side Tragedy: Police Investigate Fatal Stabbing During Attempted Home Invasion
By John Searcey,
Senior Reporter, The Midtown Times
No Arrests Have Been Made; Investigation is Ongoing.
New York, NY – Police on the Upper West Side are investigating the fatal stabbing of a man who tried to intervene during a home invasion early Friday morning.
The victim, 46-year-old Alfred Soto, was attacked and killed inside the 6th-floor apartment of a longtime friend at 65 West 96th Street. The incident occurred around 10:05 a.m. on Nov. 15, according to police sources.
Reports indicate that a group of men forced their way into the residence under the pretense of picking up dogs that were being cared for by the apartment owner. Instead, they encountered the homeowner’s 19-year-old daughter.
The teenager reportedly fled to a back bedroom, locked the door, and called her mother. The mother then contacted Soto, who lived on the building’s 11th floor. Soto rushed to the apartment to assist.
Law enforcement sources say that the young woman overheard a heated argument shortly after Soto arrived, followed by the sound of a gunshot. The suspects fled the scene using the building’s staircase. When the teenager emerged, she found Soto lying face-up in the living room with three stab wounds.
Emergency medical responders attempted CPR before transporting Soto to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators revealed that Soto had a knife in his pocket, though it was not believed to have been used during the altercation. A spent bullet casing was also found on the couch, though it remains unclear if anyone was struck by gunfire.
Witnesses reported that the suspects, described as four to five individuals, fled in a U-Haul van. They were last seen driving through the Central Park transverse, discarding Soto’s cellphone from the vehicle.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
Police urge anyone with information about the suspects to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 800-577-TIPS (or 888-57-PISTA for Spanish). Tips can be submitted online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or via X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All tips remain confidential.
The Midtown Times is committed to delivering accurate, timely, and comprehensive news to our readers.
