Manuel Estanislao Chox Choc, 21, of Bath Beach, was fatally stabbed in Dyker Beach Park on Saturday afternoon, an incident police are investigating as a gang-related attack. A 16-year-old suspect with alleged ties to a Mexican street gang known as Los Niños Malos ("Bad Boys") was taken into custody on Sunday evening and charged with murder, attempted murder, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Witnesses told The Post that Chox Choc and another 30-year-old man were watching a local soccer game around 2 p.m. when individuals on mopeds approached and initiated a confrontation. The assailants then stabbed both victims before fleeing the scene.
Emergency medical services transported both men to Maimonides Hospital. Chox Choc was pronounced dead, while the 30-year-old man remains in critical condition.
Chox Choc was described by neighbors as a "quiet kid." A small memorial has been established near the soccer field where the stabbing occurred.
Law enforcement sources indicated that Los Niños Malos is known for activity in Brooklyn, with strongholds in Sunset Park and Bed-Stuy. Residents have reported ongoing issues with individuals riding mopeds recklessly through Dyker Beach Park, sometimes wearing ski masks and traveling in groups. One resident described such encounters as involving "reckless" driving by groups of about five individuals on mopeds.