A Bronx grand jury on Monday greatly downgraded the charges against a bullied teen accused of fatally knifing his tormentor — after hearing the defendant give his side of the story.
Noel Estevez, 14, who was also known by the nickname “Goat,” was indicted for second-degree manslaughter in the June 18 slaying of Timothy Crump, also 14, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office said.
Cops had initially charged Estevez with second-degree murder as an adult, but the grand jury’s decision means he’ll now be prosecuted as a juvenile delinquent in Family Court.
It also means that the emotionally disturbed teen won’t face a potential life sentence if convicted and likely not be incarcerated past his 18th birthday.
Earlier Monday, Estevez testified before the grand jury, a rare and risky move that paid off when he convinced the panel he hadn’t intended to kill Crump.
According to authorities, Estevez stabbed Crump with a 6-inch kitchen knife outside IS 117 in the Mount Hope neighborhood.
Estevez’s family has said he acted in “self-defense” after being ambushed by Crump, who they described as a bully.
The dead teen was once a good friend but allegedly began bullying Estevez after his mom threw out a stolen cell phone that Crump had given him for safekeeping.
Estevez told his family he feared for his life, and tried to hang himself with a belt in May, sources have said.
A day before the deadly fight, Estevez’s dad pleaded with school principal Delise Jones to transfer his son to a different school, but was denied because the academic year was almost over, according to family friend Marisol Perez.
Jones ducked questions about her decision in the wake of Crump’s death and Mayor de Blasio ordered an investigation to “make sure these families and this community have the answers they deserve.”