Top photo via Pinch
An NYPD floodlight tower now sits outside the Immaculate Conception Church on 14th Street at First Avenue... a long-troubled stretch of the East Village. [Updated: There's a second tower outside the L stop closer to Avenue A.]
This arrival comes after a triple stabbing that left a 38-year-old man dead this past Sunday just before 6 p.m. Witnesses said the stabbing took place in the street and sidewalk in the area between Trader Joe's and the Wingstop. (Fox 5 has images of the deadly fight here.) The fight started on 13th Street just east of First Avenue before escalating a block over, witnesses have said.
Police arrested a suspect, 30-year-old Alejandro Piedra, who was later charged with murder with depraved indifference and attempted murder with depraved indifference, according to the NYPD and media accounts. Police said Piedra allegedly killed 38-year-old Clemson Cockfield and injured his wife, 52-year-old Jennifer Cockfield, as well as another man, 32-year-old Jonathan Lopez.
During a police briefing on Tuesday, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said all three victims sell second-hand items along 14th Street.
Per the Daily News:
Lopez left his wife and items to go to the bathroom and when he returned, Piedra was trying to pocket some of the goods, the chief said. When confronted, Piedra pulled a knife and stabbed Lopez in the head and chest. Other vendors, including Cockfield and his wife, spotted the stabbing and came to Lopez's aid.As the brawl intensified, a vendor came up behind Piedra and broke a lamp over his head before running off. Cockfield picked up the remnants of the lamp and started to swing at Piedra, screaming, “You stabbed my friend! You stabbed my friend!” according to Kenny. Jennifer Cockfield then got involved, throwing both punches and her shoes at Piedra.The fight died down and Piedra walked away before allegedly coming back a short time later with a knife in hand.
Piedra, who's due back in court tomorrow, was reportedly charged in 2018 with assaulting two women with umbrellas. The case was sent to mental health court, which Piedra completed in 2021, per the News.
Meanwhile, residents have noted that this block has been cleaner this week than it has been in several years. These photos are from yesterday morning.
City Councilmember Keith Powers, whose district starts across 14th Street at Stuy Town, sent an email to his constituents noting. Multiple EVG readers shared the email, which included:
Thank you for writing to me about 14th Street and the awful attacks that took place on Sunday. I have attached a copy of my statement from Sunday evening, which once again calls for immediate intervention from the NYPD and other agencies on 14th Street. We have been working on this since Sunday, so I wanted to give you an update.One of the challenges in dealing with the situation on 14th Street has been that despite our efforts to make progress, all it takes are a few bad actors to return to the location to undo that progress. That is why I am again calling for consistent and sustained resources on the ground until the conditions on 14th Street are back to normal.I wanted to share a few updates on the situation since Sunday:● Earlier this week, the NYPD announced that they are stationing a foot patrol on the block to address the issues. As you will see in my statement, this was my top request. As I have stated repeatedly, the need for more resources here is apparent for any of us living in the neighborhood.● I am making an updated request of the Archdiocese and Immaculate Church to end the flea market. Myself and other elected officials have made this request in the past but they have not been responsive or cooperative. While I support the church, it’s indisputable that the flea market has created huge problems in the neighborhood.● On Monday, I personally walked the block with small business owners on 14th Street to provide them with my personal information to allow them to contact us on any issue from cleanliness to illicit behavior.● The Sanitation Department confirmed to me directly today that they will begin new joint operations with the NYPD and the Department of Homeless Services. My office will stay in close contact to ensure that the efforts here are maintained and properly targeted.● I am also coordinating with my colleagues in the city and state who represent this area to set up a walkthrough of the site with all relevant agencies.We hope this will help demonstrate and reinforce the need for immediate and sustained action here. On the larger scale, there are a number of proposals in the City Council that would exacerbate the situation on 14th Street by restricting the ability of city agencies to conduct enforcement against illegal vendors. I am not supportive of these measures and I have discussed the way that they would negatively impact our neighborhood with my colleagues.As the City Council finalizes this year's budget, I am advocating for more resources for the 13th Precinct — which covers the Stuyvesant Town portion of the block (the area of 14th Street that’s in my district). I have always been proud of my good working relationship with the 13th Precinct and hope to continue coordinating with them to make our neighborhood safer.