Family Horrified That NYers Ignored Dying Homeless Man

The family of a homeless man who was ignored by dozens of passers-by as he was dying on a Jamaica, Queens street expressed their grief over his death and New Yorkers' callousness. Edwin Tacam told the Post "That shouldn’t have happened," and said his cousin Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax "wouldn't have done that. It’s not important who it is, if we see someone hurt, we should help, at least call an ambulance. Lend a hand."

It's believed that Tale-Yax was fatally stabbed around 5:40 a.m. after apparently intervening in an incident where a woman was threatened by a knife-wielding man. While Tale-Yax's confrontation with the attacker is not captured on surveillance video, video does show Tale-Yax stumbling down the street and falling—and then pedestrians glancing at him and taking cellphone pictures of him for over an hour before firefighters arrived on the scene. The incident has prompted references to the Kitty Genovese incident—where a woman was fatally stabbed in Kew Gardens and her neighbors ignored her cries for help—and the bystander effect.

The Post reports that Tale-Yax was a "Guatemalan immigrant [who] eked out a living working odd jobs, but he was recently out of work and lost his home in Queens." His body is being sent back to Guatemala where his parents live. Tacam said, "He lost his life trying to help someone else — that’s brave. I guess you could say he was a hero."

Police are looking for a suspect in the stabbing, a man around 5'6" with a medium build who was wearing a green shirt, dark pants and green hat. According to the NY Times, "The police were not sure if the woman knew what happened to Mr. Tale-Yax, but they said it was possible she knew the suspect. The police expressed hope that news coverage of the killing will prompt her to realize and identify the suspect."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on April 25, 2010 2:16 PM

Comments [rss]

ProfessorVonNostren

This story made me cry.

spiritross

Damn humanists.

ibexclusive

Everybody keeps saying "Family".. Family loves. Family cares. Family wouldnt be in this situation. Now, "Blood Relatives", thats more like it! Blood relatives show up after your dead! Not alive and homeless. Family is there when your homeless. Not dead on the news!

rasputinsghost

how obvious was it that he was hurt? it sounds like the Cops/EMTs didn't even realize he was injured until they lifted him up and saw a pool of blood

bobshmob

Everyone has blamed the female mugging victim, blamed the family back home, blamed the bystanders. No one has pointed a finger at the THUG trying to MUG a woman at 5:40am and the KILLING a man. Let's go after him, worry about the others later.

S.K.

A few months ago, I was unemployed and my wife left with whatever money I had left.

I could have been homeless, were it not for my family taking me back, and helping me stand up again.

Family is our strongest commodity.

rp101

Hmmm if they lady cared so much about this man then why didn't she help him out of homelessness.

inoyourider

Not surprising in Jamaica, Queens.

God help you there cos there aren't many humans who will.

Aren't many who qualify as human there anyway.

Sad story.

silver

no snitchin, mind your business

matty

Did any of you read? The guy's family is in Guatemala. He was a day laborer and recently lost his job and apartment.

theLtrain

Hey not for nothing but if I was walking in the hood (which Jamaica certainly is) at 5:30 in the morning, I wouldn't stop to check or help some dude covered in blood on the ground either.

Not to be callous but some of you forget that this is NEW YORK. Mind your own business and keep it moving. After all this guy was killed because he tried to stop a robbery.

Kojak

Its that type of mentality that needs to change. And this type of thing occurs not only in areas like Jamaica, Queens despite comments to the contrary.

snickerdoodle

Family Horrified That NYers Ignored Dying Homeless Man

Conversely, NYers are equally horrified to learn that this homeless man had a family who didn't care enough about him to help keep him from being homeless in the first place.

Jesse James Payette-Steinberg said: Everyone that walked by him should be tried for manslaughter.

Ridiculous. How many homeless people who looked passed out have YOU walked by and ignored?

Jesse

Everyone that walked by him should be tried for manslaughter.

tnuc

worst idea ever.

Who really cares about the homeless? Seriously anyone??

There really is no humans left in this part of the country.

freddynyc

Now is it any more horrifying that one would allow his or her loved one to go homeless...

Trilby16

My thoughts exactly. His family criticizes the callousness of others but they didn't take him in.

Spirit of 76

His family is in Guatemala. Do you think they could afford the airfare to bring him home?

I Own Gothamist NOW

" It’s not important who it is, if we see someone hurt, we should help, at least call an ambulance. Lend a hand." advice we should take from someone who is blood related to the victim but didn't lend a hand to him even though the victim was destitute and homeless?"

Spirit of 76

People in Guatemala aren't known to be swimming in money to send to their brethren in the US. 75% or more of the population lives below the poverty line there. Basically, the reason they come here is to try to make get jobs. Even homeless in NYC, he may have been better off than they are.