25-year-old Mingdong Chen has been charged in the stabbing deaths of a murder of mother and four children in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, NY1 reported.
The NYPD said that Chen used a butcher knife to kill his cousin's wife and four children the night of October 26, all of the kids were under the age of 10. Chen was charged with one count of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder, as well as criminal possession of a weapon, said Officer Sophia Tassy-Mason said, as CNN reported.
"The suspect has made statements. He speaks Mandarin. He does not speak English. We have officers working with the detectives who can translate for him. But yes, he made statements alluding to his participation in this act," said Philip Banks, chief of department for the NYPD.
"Horrific, horrific crime. It's a scene you'll never forget," Banks added.
Chen was arrested on Saturday night, and was charged with the five counts on Sunday afternoon, news reports said.
Officers responded to a 911 call at about 8:30 p.m. at the apartment on 57th Street in Brooklyn where Chen had been living with his cousin and family, Newsday reported.
Investigators said Chen, who had been staying with Li's family for about eight days, was "apparently seen Chen acting strangely and tried calling her husband at work, but couldn't reach him," CBS Local reported. "At about 11 p.m., police said the sister-in-law and her husband went to the house and found the bloody scene," news reports said.
Officers found Chen bloodied after he reportedly stabbed to death the five family members.
NYPD Police identified the victims as Qiao Zhen Li, 9-year-old Linda Zhuo, 7-year-old Amy Zhuo, 5-year-old Kevin Zhuo and 1-year-old William Zhuo, news reports said.
All five of the dead had stab wounds to their upper bodies, police said.
Linda, Amy and William Zhou were pronounced dead at the scene, while the mother was taken to Lutheran Medical Center and Kevin had been taken to Maimonides Medical. Both were pronounced at the hospitals, Newsday also reported.
Chen reportedly told investigators during questioning that he felt the burden of being an immigrant to the U.S. because "ever since he came to this country, everybody seems to be doing better than him," said NYPD Chief of Department Phil Banks told reporters. Chen was jealous of his cousin's success, according to a law enforcement official.
