Man Sentenced To Prison For Fatal Stabbing At NYC's Pier 84

NEW YORK CITY — A suspect who stabbed a man to death at Pier 84 in Manhattan three years ago has been sentenced to prison on Thursday.

Luis Gil, 21, will spend the next 18 years to life in state prison for the fatal stabbing of 35-year-old Hugo Morales on July 13, 2023.

Gil, who was 19 at the time of the incident, is accused of stabbing Morales in the chest after the victim decided to lay on a bench near him at Pier 84.

Gil initially tried to bother Morales by standing over him, looking at him and putting his bookbag near Morales’s feet.

The suspect then took out a large knife out of his backpack and walked away before returning to stab the victim.

“Hugo Morales was lying on a park bench one summer morning on Pier 84 when Luis Gil fatally stabbed him without provocation, tragically cutting his life short,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. “While nothing can bring Mr. Morales back, I hope this guilty plea and lengthy prison sentence can serve as a measure of comfort and closure to his loved ones who continue to mourn his loss.”

Gil fled the scene after the incident and took an Amtrak train to Chicago where he was apprehended on July 17.

Morales was rushed to Morningside Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect pleaded guilty to one count of second degree murder.