Police seek suspect in connection with University Heights stabbing

The NYPD released a new video Tuesday night of a man they are looking to question in connection to a stabbing--as the victim's family decides whether to take their loved one off life support.

News 12 Staff

Dec 25, 2019, 12:00 AM

Updated 1,811 days ago

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The NYPD released a new video Tuesday night of a man they are looking to question in connection to a stabbing--as the victim's family decides whether to take their loved one off life support.
Giovanni Pimentel's family says the stabbing happened inside a building on University Avenue, across the street from Bronx Community College. Loved ones say Pimentel is brain dead, and therefore now legally dead.
The family says that this is not how they wanted to spend the holidays. They say they wish a Christmas miracle was possible for Pimentel at St. Barnabas Hospital.
Pimentel's mother Awilda Gomez says her son was hanging out with friends after work at 2170 University Avenue when he was stabbed in the heart. She says her son told her he would be home by 1:30 a.m. Saturday but never made it.
Gomez says she is not sure if this was a random attack or if her son was the intended target. However, she says Pimentel was not the type to have problems with anyone.
According to a witness statement, the suspect yelled something in Spanish. That word, "Popote," is a known Trinitarios gang phrase, according to people who spoke to witnesses.
The sister of murdered Bronx teen Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz responded on social media saying, "This one hit home for me. The same gang that took my brother has now also taken my friend."
Residents of the building say they are now worried about their safety. They say knowing someone was carrying a weapon inside the place they live is alarming.
The family is now faced with a painful decision--as machines keep Pimentel alive.
Police are still investigating if the stabbing was gang-related.