A 35-year-old man has been arrested following the fatal stabbing of a second 48-year-old man on Monday morning in a well known hot spot for crime and tragedy in the Fordham Manor section of The Bronx.

 

Police said that on Monday morning, Nov. 18, at around 11.42 a.m., officers from the 52nd Precinct responded to a 911 call regarding an assault in progress in front of 2631 Marion Avenue. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 48-year-old male with stab wounds to his chest. EMS transported the victim to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased,” an NYPD spokesperson said, initially adding that the investigation remained ongoing.

 

The deceased was identified as Bronxite, Padilla Nestor, from the Williamsbridge section.

 

Pursuant to an ongoing investigation, on Monday evening, the NYPD said Junior Ovales, 35, of Fordham Manor was arrested at around 7 p.m. somewhere within the confines of the 52nd Precinct, which covers the neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham, Kingsbridge, Bronx Park, and University Heights.

They said he was charged with second degree murder, first degree manslaughter, and fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon.

 

A vigil and candle memorial were seen at the sight of the stabbing later on Monday night as different groups of people gathered around the area. We asked a few people who appeared to be mourning the victim if they would like to speak about him or the incident, but they declined.

 

We also asked a few other people in the neighborhood if they would like to comment on the incident or if they had more information on how the stabbing unfolded. Speaking in Spanish, one local female employee who declined to be identified, said she just heard there was a fight and someone got killed but didn’t know much more. Another group of older men said they arrived at the location later that evening and had also just heard about the incident later and didn’t know much more about what happened. He said people were hesitant to talk about it generally.

Another young woman we spoke to in the area suggested it was dangerous to ask or to speak about what happened. We also spoke to some people living in Williamsbridge close to where the victim lived. Nobody was aware that the man had been killed and nobody had any comment.

 

2631 Marion Avenue is located at the intersection of East 194th Street. Our Lady of Mercy Church is located nearby at 2496 Marion Avenue, and Fordham United Methodist Church is also located on Marion Avenue close to East Fordham Road. In 2010, the 52nd Precinct installed a watch tower in the area, as reported.

 

Earlier on Monday, Police Commissioner Tom Donlon joined New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny in announcing that a man had been arrested for an apparent stabbing spree earlier on Monday in Manhattan. Two people were stabbed to death and a third woman was also stabbed and remained in critical condition after the incident. The third victim has since died.

 

The suspect was arrested after a member of the public contacted a police officer who took action to apprehend him. The Manhattan incidents which took place in three different locations seemingly stemmed from a mental health episode which the suspect was experiencing.

There was no direct suggestion by police that the Bronx murder was linked to any mental health situation, though this may be a possibility.

 

In 2022, mental health professionals received a boost with a $1 million donation towards student loan forgiveness. The program was designed to help attract and retain doctors, nurse practitioners, and other clinicians who care for New Yorkers with mental health or substance use needs as the U.S. faced a national mental health professional shortage.

 

In January 2023, a misdemeanor mental health court was launched in Westchester County, offering eligible individuals community-based, mental health treatment and services as an alternative to conventional prosecution.

 

Read a recent op-ed published by Norwood News on the topic on prioritizing mental health here. For some related coverage on the topic of mental health, click here, here, here, and here.