A 17-year-old suspect surrendered to police Thursday and was charged with murdering a beloved security guard at a crowded Midtown subway station.
Darrel Rodriguez, 26, died Saturday after being shot in the chest on the platform at Seventh Avenue and 53rd Street during the evening rush, police said. The Bronx resident worked as a security guard at a Manhattan building, manning the front desk for tenants and visitors.
The accused teen, whose name was not released because of his age, turned himself in accompanied by his attorney, according to police. He faces charges of second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a loaded weapon.
Sources told investigators that Rodriguez and the teenager had some kind of dispute before the gunfire, though the two did not know each other prior to the fatal encounter. The shooter fled the platform after the shooting, leaving Rodriguez mortally wounded among the evening commuters.
Rodriguez lived in the Bronx and was known in his neighborhood as a “beautiful kid,” neighbors and relatives said. He had taken on responsibility for caring for his ailing father, according to those who knew him.
He leaves behind two brothers, including a twin who serves in the military and resides in Texas. The family now faces the loss of a son and sibling who had been supporting his household while working steady security work in Manhattan.
The shooting added to a violent period on the city’s transit system, coming amid a string of attacks that have put riders on edge and drawn renewed attention to subway safety. The platform at Seventh Avenue and 53rd Street, a busy transfer point in Midtown, was crowded when the dispute turned deadly.
Police had been hunting for the gunman since Saturday evening, and the case broke when the teenager appeared with legal representation to surrender. The investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors build their case against the juvenile defendant.
Rodriguez’s death has left his building’s tenants without the familiar face who greeted them daily, and his Bronx neighborhood mourning a young man described as caring and devoted to his family.