Woman pleads guilty to murder
Jun. 17—A Falls woman has pleaded guilty to stabbing a man to death during a confrontation in Packard Court in November.
Tramaine S. Sanchez, 25, entered her plea to charges of second-degree murder and second-degree conspiracy during a virtual hearing in Niagara County Youth Court. Niagara Falls City Court Judge Diane Vitello, who presides over the youth court, told Sanchez she would cap her potential prison sentence for her guilty plea at 25 years to life.
The plea took place in youth court because Sanchez was indicted by a Niagara County grand jury along with two 17-year-old co-defendants. One teen faces charges of second-degree murder and second-degree conspiracy.
The second teen is charged with first-degree assault and fourth-degree conspiracy. Both of those cases remain pending.
The names of the teenage defendants are being withheld under New York's Raise the Age Law. Sanchez has been identified because she is not covered by the Raise the Age Law.
The 17-year-old charged with murder is being held without bail. The second 17-year-old defendant is being held in lieu of bail set at $10,000 cash, $20,000 insurance bond or $40,000 partially secured bond.
Falls Police Criminal Investigation Division and Juvenile Division detectives took Sanchez and the two juveniles into custody three days after the Nov. 16 stabbing death of Kenneth Walaszek, 52, of the Falls.
Walaszek was reportedly lured to Sanchez's Packard Court apartment by one of the teens, who was related to him. When Walaszek knocked on the door of Sanchez's apartment, at about 11:40 p.m., detectives said Sanchez answered the door and stabbed him multiple times in the chest.
Falls Police patrol officers responded to what had been originally reported as a domestic incident and found Walaszek's body lying on the pavement in front of Sanchez's apartment. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Three other juveniles were questioned by investigators in connection with the murder, but prosecutors later indicated that they did not expect to change any of them in connection with the case.
