New York police say they have arrested a man suspected of stabbing two children in an elevator, killing a six-year-old boy, in a case that horrified the city.
Daniel St Hubert, 27, was taken into custody shortly after authorities flanked by Mayor Bill de Blasio named him at a news conference late on Wednesday and appealed for the public's help in tracking him down.
Prince Joshua "PJ" Avitto died shortly after Sunday evening's attack at a Brooklyn apartment building, while seven-year-old Mikayla Capers was stabbed 16 times and remains in hospital in critical condition.
Police said St Hubert is believed to have followed the children into the elevator after they had bought ice cream, where he told them to "shut up" before assaulting them.
He fled the scene leaving his weapon, a kitchen knife, behind.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
He apparently did not know his victims.
There were no security cameras in the elevator or building where the attack took place.
Police said they used DNA samples to identify St Hubert who, according to the New York Post, left prison on May 23 after serving five years for attempting to strangle his mother.
Authorities have not ruled out that St Hubert also used a kitchen knife to fatally stab an 18-year-old girl, Tanaya Copeland, on Friday evening, on a street near Sunday's crime scene.
