An autistic man was struck by a terrible misunderstanding and passed away after he unintentionally moved a backpack belonging to the possible assailant. Facebook
Tyrone Padilla, 61, was found bleeding to death in the stairwell of his Bronx residence around 1:30 a.m. after taking his dog out for a walk, according to authorities. Facebook
Padilla initially left his apartment on Creston Avenue near East Fordham Road at 1:10 a.m. and returned home unharmed 10 minutes later, police said. Padilla then left his apartment a second time at 1:21 a.m. and never came home. Google Maps
View recordings display Padilla leaving his apartment at 1:10 a.m. and returning home unharmed. He left his apartment again at 1:21 a.m. but did not return.
According to video evidence reviewed by police, at around 1:24 a.m., Padilla was seen being pursued northbound on Creston Avenue by an unknown attacker. Another video had previously shown the same male, who police identified as a suspect in Padilla’s murder, carrying a backpack. However, when the troubling footage showed the suspect pursuing Padilla, he was not carrying it.
Investigators speculated that Padilla, who family members say suffered from autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder, might have inadvertently picked up the suspect’s backpack. Facebook
“It could be that he picked up this person’s backpack by accident, which led to a confrontation,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters.
“At one point we have him on video carrying a chair. He’s known to just pick up trash outside of the building.”
“From speaking to people in the building and relatives, as part of our victim’s autistic tendencies, he has a habit of picking things up off the ground,” Kenny said.
By 1:25 a.m., Padilla was chased into the lobby of his building where he was fatally stabbed in the back and neck. The attack was not caught on camera.
Padilla was immediately rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, but passed away just before 2 a.m.
Investigators found a dagger at the scene, but are convinced it was Padilla’s and not the murder weapon. No backpack was found at the scene.
Kenny expressed that facial recognition technology was utilized with video images of the suspect, but it did not provide any leads. Especially on sensitive topics like this, it’s important to maintain sensitivity and let images and messages convey a message of support. There’s always room for growth in learning how to support affected communities..management.
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