Arrest Made In Stabbing That Killed 17-Year-Old In The Heights

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A 24-year-old man from Hell's Kitchen has been arrested and charged with murder for the deadly and senseless stabbing of a 17-year-old boy in Washington Heights at the end of March, according to police.

Mike Kushnir, 24, was arrested in connection to the stabbing that took place near West 181st Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue.

The victim, 17-year-old Gerardo Rivas, was stabbed in the chest outside of his family home, before he staggered a couple of blocks and flagged down a passing ambulance, according to police.

The George Washington High School student died a short time later at Columbia Presbyterian.

No motive has been given in the attack.

"We never expected to lose our loved one to an act of violence and hate. Gerardo was full of life and happiness," the authors of a fundraiser for the victim's family wrote. "He was selfless and always willing to help his family and others. He was kind and always made others laugh and smile. This mentality isn't innate for all, but for Gerardo, it was."

The GoFundMe has raised $28,000 of its $30,000 as of Monday morning.

According to the Daily News, Kushnir pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in 2017 and was arraigned on the murder charge Friday.

Additionally, the doorman of his family's luxury Hell's Kitchen building told the Daily News that Kushnir is on a "no-entry list" for the building after a "nasty" domestic incident with his mother got him kicked out.