Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of JOHN WRIGHT, 35, for stabbing and killing 24-year-old Carlos Rosario in Midtown following a dispute over a cigarette. WRIGHT is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Murder in the Second Degree.^[1]

“As alleged, Mr. Rosario’s life was brought to a violent end when he was stabbed following a dispute that started over a cigarette.” said District Attorney Bragg. “Today’s indictment demonstrates we will not accept this violence, and my thoughts are with those grieving Mr. Rosario’s loss.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record, on December 6, 2022, Mr. Rosario and his coworker were together outside a store in Midtown West. Mr. Rosario’s coworker asked WRIGHT’s girlfriend for a cigarette in front of a store, and a verbal dispute ensued between all four individuals.

As the argument escalated and turned physical, WRIGHT and two others chased Mr. Rosario and his coworker, punching and kicking Mr. Rosario. WRIGHT pulled a knife out of his backpack and stabbed Mr. Rosario once in the chest. He died in the hospital shortly after the incident.

WRIGHT fled the scene and was apprehended two weeks later in the Bronx.

Assistant D.A.s Kavita Bovell (Deputy Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau 50) and Sean Flatow (Trial Bureau 50) are handling the prosecution of this case, under the supervision of Jessica Lynn (Chief of Trial Bureau 50) and Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division).

D.A. Bragg thanked Detectives Liam Donnellan and Troy Pastore from the Midtown South Detective Squad and Detective Brian McCarthy from Manhattan South Homicide, along with Investigator Jonathan Reid and his crew from the New York County District Attorney’s Office Investigations Bureau.

Defendant Information:
JOHN WRIGHT
New York, New York
 
Charged:

• Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-I felony, one count