MANHATTAN — The son of former mayoral aide Rachel Noerdlinger was charged with manslaughter after fatally stabbing a member of a group trying to rob him in New Jersey on Sunday night, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Khari Noerdlinger, 19, stabbed another young man involved in an armed robbery attempt in Edgewater on Jan. 31, according to the prosecutor. Noerdlinger allegedly stabbed the man, who the prosecutor only identified as “SL,” in his right leg, rupturing his femoral artery.
The young man died several hours later at Palisades General Hospital.
SL was with four other people when they came upon Noerdlinger at 276 Old River Road a little after 10 p.m., according to prosecutors.
The group confronted the 19-year-old and an altercation ensued.
After the stabbing, Noerdlinger and others tried to hide evidence from the scene, prosecutors added.
It was unclear Monday evening if he knew the group who confronted him.
Noerdlinger was charged with aggravated manslaughter and possession of a weapon, the prosecutor’s office said.
His lawyer, Jeffery Lichtman, said he was baffled by the prosecutor's charges.
"It's not every day that someone is attacked by five armed individuals, fights back and is rewarded with aggravated manslaughter," he said.
Lichtman said he did not know if Noerdlinger knew his attackers or the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
"He was going to school, trying to get his life together and — bam — this happened," the lawyer said.
Noerdlinger, who was held on $500,000 bail after his arraignment, will appear in court on Tuesday morning.
Mirleny Tremols, Kevensky Lubin, Richard Jean-Pierre and Calim Gaspard were each charged with armed robbery.
Rachel Noerdlinger left her position as chief of staff for first lady Chirlane McCray in 2014 after Khari Noerdlinger was arrested in another incident.
She was also found to have been in a relationship with a man convicted of manslaughter and interstate drug trafficking.
Mayor Bill de Blasio publicly defended Rachel Noerdlinger for weeks. McCray and de Blasio issued a brief, joint statement Monday evening calling the incident a "tragedy" for everyone.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family that has lost their son, and with everyone affected by this tragedy," de Blasio and McCray said.
