“Keep again, they’ve a gun” — that’s what a determined Manhattan man instructed his household simply moments earlier than his spouse was shot level clean within the head by a teen mugger and his pal in a botched theft, new court docket papers reveal.
The heartbreaking particulars about 57-year-old Ying Zhu Liu’s tragic slaying inside her Two Bridges condo constructing earlier this month had been specified by a felony criticism charging a 16-year-old boy with homicide in her taking pictures loss of life.
The teenager, Dante Schaller, and a still-at-large confederate adopted Liu’s husband, Shen Yan, 61, into the Market Road rental’s elevator round 10:50 p.m. on Sept. 9 and pulled a handgun on him, in response to police.
Yan, who doesn’t communicate English, realized he was being robbed — and the masked suspects snatched his Samsung cellphone and $100 in money, in response to the felony criticism.
When the elevator doorways opened on the eighth flooring — the place Yan lived along with his household — the dad noticed his son ready for him within the hallway and delivered a chilling warning.
“Keep again, they’ve a gun,” he mentioned, in response to the submitting.
The son, 32-year-old Lin Rong Yan, tried to intervene and was pistol-whipped by one of many suspects — struggling a number of fractures to his face and nostril, in response to prosecutors, who mentioned the assault was captured on surveillance video.
His mother heard the commotion coming from the hallway and stepped out of the condo to attempt to assist her husband and son.
The wrestle moved to the stairwell, the place one of many muggers raised a handgun and fired a single shot into Liu’s face from three ft away, in response to the criticism, which doesn’t specify which suspect pulled the set off.
Liu, a house well being aide, fell to the ground, and blood gushed out of her mouth and head.
EMTs pronounced her lifeless on the scene, from a gunshot wound to the top.
Manhattan prosecutors mentioned that Schaller and his confederate had been caught on surveillance footage from a close-by deli in the identical clothes they had been carrying throughout the heartless crime — however with out their masks — simply 40 minutes earlier than the homicide.
Schaller was recognized as carrying a purple hooded sweatshirt, the criticism mentioned.
The hoodie was discovered by investigators inside the teenager’s dwelling on East 167th Road, as was one stay 9mm spherical, authorities mentioned.
Police additionally mentioned they recovered a 9mm shell from a step within the stairwell and located a bullet fragment contained in the hallway of the victims’ constructing.
Schaller was arrested Thursday.
He was ordered held with out bail on fees of homicide, housebreaking, theft and felony possession of a weapon fees throughout his arraignment.
Schaller, who simply turned 16 on Sept. 11, has an open felony case for assaulting a police officer, in response to sources.
He appeared earlier than a decide in juvenile court docket Friday morning, the place his legal professional, Sam Roberts of the Authorized Assist Society, made a bid to downgrade the homicide cost.
“It’s not alleged that’s he’s the shooter and it’s not alleged at any level he possessed the weapon,” he argued.
However Decide Stephen Antigani didn’t chunk, saying in regards to the grand jury: “In the event that they assume it’s acceptable, they are going to cost him. In the event that they don’t assume it’s acceptable, they gained’t cost him.”
Roberts was additionally requested by the decide to recuse himself due to a potential battle with a separate youth case.
Relations of Schaller’s crammed the again row of the courtroom throughout the listening to, his mom weeping.
As he was hauled away, the teenager yelled out “Love you too. Yo kiss my child, kiss my child” and a lady within the gallery kissed a child she was holding.
He’s due again in court docket Tuesday.
The Manhattan District Lawyer’s Workplace mentioned there can be a listening to on whether or not he will probably be prosecuted as an grownup at a later date.
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