N.J. 11-year-old accused of stabbing fellow 5th-grader after school

PERTH AMBOY, N.J. (TCD) — An 11-year-old boy was taken into custody last week for allegedly stabbing another student after school, leading to rallies and walkouts at the local high school.

In a joint statement, the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and Perth Amboy Police said the stabbing occurred Wednesday, Feb. 22, at approximately 2:37 p.m., when the suspect “assaulted another 11-year-old male with a knife while they were on their way home from school.”

The victim, who CBS New York identified as fifth-grade student Smailyn Jimenez, suffered serious injuries and was rushed to the hospital. Police took the 11-year-old suspect into custody and said he was charged with juvenile delinquency that, if he were an adult, equates to attempted murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon on school property, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

The juvenile remains in custody.

Jimenez is reportedly no longer in the ICU, although he’s still in the hospital.

Jimenez reportedly waved down Zenovia Cruz, who was driving by on her way to pick up her niece from school. She stopped, put him in her car, found an ambulance nearby, and made sure he got help.

NBC New York reports students walked out of Perth Amboy High School Monday, Feb. 27, in protest and as a way to bring awareness to danger at the local schools.

The city of Perth Amboy and the Perth Amboy Board of Education released a statement after the stabbing and said they “stand jointly committed to listening to everyone’s concerns, which requires a multi-faceted approach.”

The statement said, “We have to work together to provide a set of interventions and solutions that will work for our students, and that requires putting an array of services in place, including having our community police officers and juvenile bureau work with staff in and outside of the school including mental health services, counseling, and peer-to-peer interventions. We want our students to feel safe and supported, and we will exhaust all efforts to support this process. We must remain focused on working together and in solidarity to ensure our youth’s thriving future.”