4 BUSTED IN NYU STUDENT'S DEATH

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

April 10, 2006 -- 4 BUSTED IN NYU STUDENT'S DEATH

A marauding band of teen thugs - including two baby-faced 13-year-olds - were prowling their Harlem neighborhood for an "easy mark" to rob when they cornered an NYU student who was fatally struck by car as he fled, police said yesterday.

While the horrific case had been thought to be a hate crime - with the black punks allegedly screaming, "Get whitey!" as victim John Broderick "J.B." Hehman ran into traffic - cops insisted the gang was a vicious "organized robbery team" hunting for a target.

In chilling new details released yesterday, police said the wolf pack of punks at first had planned to rob a Hispanic man as he walked toward them around East 125th Street before 8 p.m. April 1 - but were scared off by a police cruiser. Moments later, the doomed NYU junior emerged from the subway on his way to play video games with a friend.

The gang, which also included two 15-year-olds, followed their new victim for about a block as they plotted how to bring him down, cops said.

At least two of the thugs went around in front of the 20-year-old student, while another two followed him from behind, cops said.

The punks made their move outside a Popeye's fast-food joint on East 125th Street, allegedly surrounding Hehman just after he bent down to give a dollar to a man in a wheelchair.

Deputy Inspector Michael Osgood said one teen grabbed Hehman while another rifled his pockets and punched him in the face. Hehman broke free and fled. As three of the thugs chased him, he ran into the street, where he was hit by a silver Mercedes. He died four days later at Harlem Hospital.

The Mercedes' driver, Frank Diaz, 49, of New Hyde Park, L.I., said he didn't see Hehman until he hit him.

"All I saw was a shadow come up on my hood. It completely caught me off guard. I hit the brakes right away," the father of three said, his voice trembling.

"I never saw the other kids. I never saw him running."

Diaz, whose windshield was smashed by the impact, said he has been unable to shake the memory of striking the young man.

"I've been trying to keep myself busy," he said. "This is such a tragic event.'

The teens, identified as Hassan Mayfield and Andre Johnson, both 15, and Denzel Fell and Bobby Guzman, both 13, were charged as adults with second-degree murder and attempted robbery.

They made no comment as cops escorted them from Harlem's 25th Precinct station house yesterday.

Johnson was held without bail at his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court last night.

A fifth suspect is still at large.

While the punks allegedly yelled, "Get whitey!" or "Get the white boy!" while chasing Hehman, cops said they are backing away from hate-crime charges because racial bias was not the motivating factor in the attack.

"The evidence is just overwhelming that it was economic and not a hate crime," said Osgood, who works in the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force. "In essence, what you have is an organized robbery team going into a conspiracy."

Cops said a surveillance video from a nearby McDonald's led them to the suspects.

Days before the attack, a group of teens trashed the fast-food restaurant, overturning cash registers and intimidating customers. The violence was caught on tape, and police said at least some of those suspects were involved in Hehman's death.

Relatives described the four as good students who had never been in trouble with the law.

"A person who is guilty is not going to just turn himself in," said Natasha Jenkins, whose son, Mayfield, went to the station house to talk to cops. "Hassan went to the cops voluntarily on two occasions to tell his side of the story."

Guzman's uncle said his nephew was not involved in the chase. "I don't know what's going on," he uncle said. "He's not a murderer."

Adam Freedman, a lawyer for Johnson, said the four were interviewed outside the presence of their parents. "The police have not told me anything about his statements or any one else's statements or even if they made a statement," he said.

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/62258.htm

[Jasman0717 9]

Good!

[almaty 19]

wow..life in the big city..sad state of affairs...

[chocolaterie 0]

unruly behavior turned extremely bad... what do you expect when you have a bunch of young boys and nothing worthwhile to do? I'd like to know if the parents even knew their kids were out.

I grew up in a poor area of Toronto, kids like these ones were my classmates.

It's such a terrible story not only because the student died for such a stupid crime, but also bc most if not all these kids have already ruined many future opportunities. Inner city kids, tough life.

[iceyspots 0]

What a shame

[*Robert* 2]

The reporter sounded a little biased himself! Especially with the "black punks" comment!

[almaty 19]

The reporter sounded a little biased himself! Especially with the "black punks" comment!

agree..really not called for..we all can label people ourselves...

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

The reporter sounded a little biased himself! Especially with the "black punks" comment!

ummmm they are black and they are punks. These kids were not the victims. They were robbing a guy and yelling racist things at him.

remember too. the story is from the New York Post... It stinks.

Edited April 11, 2006 by rch99

[designermedusa 0]

I think it is a hate crime. They specifically called him a white boy, and then ran him into traffic. I do think some of the language in the article is wrong, but that's how the NYC news stations described the kids that committed this crime as well. Black leaders of the community were calling it a hate crime, and pleading for the kids to turn themselves in. It was suspected that the police were hesitant to call it a hate crime because they don't want to have crime statistics showing a high number of hate crimes.