Last week, 7 year-old Mikayla Capers and her 6 year-old friend Prince Joshua (PJ) Avitto were stabbed in an elevator in the Boulevard Houses of Brooklyn. Mikayla was just released from the hospital, although PJ unfortunately didn’t survive the attack. The man accused of this heinous act, Daniel St. Hubert, was in court today for a brief hearing, shackled and wearing an orange jumpsuit. For many of PJ’s relatives, this was the first time they got to take a look at his suspected killer. After a prosecutor announced that St. Hubert was indicted for PJ’s murder, he was denied the chance to speak with the court. PJ’s father, who currently has “PJ” shaved on the back of his head, who saw St. Hubert for the first time today, described it as a “terrible” experience.
If convicted of second-degree murder and related assault counts, St. Hubert faces 50 years to life in prison. He’s also a suspect in the fatal knifing of 18 year-old Tanaya Coleman, as well as the slashing of a homeless man in a Manhattan subway station. As of yet, however, St. Hubert hasn’t been charged for those crimes. He is currently being held in the psych ward of Bellevue Hospital. St. Hubert has a history of mental illness, having tried to choke his mother back in 2009. He served five years in prison for her attempted murder, and for assaulting a female corrections officer. He was released from prison in late May, but just 8 days later he stabbed Mikayla and murdered PJ. St. Hubert’s mother believes that her son needs psychiatric help more than prison, although she hasn’t been able to be in contact with her son due to a legal ruling. His sister, however, claims she has spoken with her brother, who she says sounded “fatigued” and “spaced out”.
Maria Haymandou 