A Bronx woman has been arrested for allegedly tampering with evidence related to the investigation into the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy in Brooklyn earlier this week.
Barbara Galloza, 38, was charged with evidence tampering and hindering the prosecution on Tuesday, police said. A spokesperson for the NYPD did not have further information about her role in the incident, but police sources tell NBC-4 that Galloza witnessed a confrontation between her son and Rohan Burke—who was stabbed to death in Midwood on Monday afternoon.
Galloza's 17-year-old son, who has not been charged, reportedly surrendered to police on Tuesday.
According to authorities, the teenager was stabbed on Avenue M and East 17th Street, following a dispute with two or three individuals. Burke was rushed to Maimonides Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Daily News reports that police believe Galloza's son handed the knife to his mother moments after the attack, and that she then disposed of the weapon. A second accomplice is still being sought.
“There’s a video that shows it," Burke's grieving mother, Tracey Beckels, told the tabloid. "It’s two guys that attacked him and they passed the knife to a female."
She added that her son was a "good, sweet boy" who loved basketball and video games, and wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up.
UPDATE: Police have charged David Lopez, 17, with the murder Rohan Burke. Lopez, a Brooklyn resident, turned himself into police on Tuesday, and is believed to be Galloza's son. He was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
