New Rochelle police arrest stabbing suspect

CLOSE

Mayor Noam Bramson speaks about his decision to send his children to New Rochelle H.S. a day after a student was fatally stabbed. Gabriel Rom/lohud

NEW ROCHELLE - Police arrested Z'inah Brown, who is a suspect in Wednesday's fatal stabbing of New Rochelle High School student Valaree Schwab. Brown turned herself in to police headquarters Thursday afternoon. 

She's been charged with second-degree murder. 

Brown is a 16-year-old student at New Rochelle High School and police believe she lives in Yonkers. Schwab, 16, was stabbed on Wednesday afternoon at the Dunkin' Donuts at 646 North Ave. and died at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.

New Rochelle Police say Brown was part of a larger group of five or six male and female New Rochelle High School students.

FATAL: New Rochelle teenager stabbed to death

NEW ROCHELLE STABBING: Police, concern surround school after fatal stabbing of teen

Police said a series of altercations, including the use of pepper spray, occurred between Schwab and the group along North Avenue, starting at the McDonalds and culminating at the Dunkin' Donuts. 

Schwab was stabbed twice in the torso with a steak knife inside Dunkin' Donuts on North Avenue, police said. The victim was with a male companion but he was not in the Dunkin' Donuts at the time of the incident, according to police.

Police responded to the Dunkin' Donuts at about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, finding Schwab responsive but bleeding and losing consciousness. She died later at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.

New Rochelle Police said they were in possession of surveillance video but declined to say when or if it would be released to the press.

On Thursday morning there was a larger police presence than usual at New Rochelle High School, where a significant number of students were absent, school officials said.

Twitter: @GabrielRom1

CLOSE

A New Rochelle High School student reacts to the fatal stabbing that occurred Jan. 10, 2018. Mark Vergari/lohud