The Staten Island DA's office is no longer charging two teens with a hate crime in the murder of Richard Salinas. The DA's office earlier said a trio of teens targeted the chef at an International House of Pancakes because he was Mexican, but now the DA believes the motivation was robbery alone. Daniel Betancourt and Travis King were indicted on murder charges. They and John Messiha stole $60 and a cellphone from Salinas while beating him, and Salinas died of a heart attack. Salinas, who had worked his way up from bus boy to chef at the IHOP, had been headed to a store to buy a phone card for his wife and milk for his kids. more ›

The Staten Island DA's office has made some ugly revelations in the murder of the Mexican immigrant Richard Salinas. The three teenagers who beat Salinas to death, only to rob him of $60, had decided to rob a Mexican man. ADA Alex Schapiro said of teens John Messiha, Daniel Betancourt, and Travis King, "The defendants were playing video games and decided to rob somebody. They wanted it to be a Mexican man and that's when they went out and found Mr. Salinas." And the Daily News has the chilling police statements:

In a statement to cops, Messiha said it was King who first proposed the attack Saturday night. "Travis said we should rob a Mexican," he said. more ›

A terrible, brutal robbery on Staten Island: A group of teenagers beat a man to death for $60 on Saturday night. Richard Salinas, a 33 year old father of two, was headed out to buy a phone card for his wife when teens John Messiha, Daniel Betancourt and Travis King attacked him on Van Pelt Avenue. The three teens were charged with crime. One neighbor in Mariners Harbor told the Daily News, "I've lived here 27 years and nothing like this has ever happened." more ›