THE BRONX — Police arrested man they believe killed his girlfriend’s son in High Bridge Tuesday after accusing the 20-year-old of stealing a pair of his sneakers.
Michael Crocker, 56, was arrested on Thursday afternoon and charged with murder, manslaughter and weapons possession, prosecutors said.
Crocker, who has 28 prior arrests for assault, drugs and robbery, evaded police for two days after he stabbed Malcolm Jacob, his girlfriend's son, in the chest, inside her High Bridge apartment on March 17, police said.
Jacob, who lived in foster care as a teenager, was visiting his biological mother at 1372 Merriam Ave. Tuesday when he got into a “heated dispute” with Crocker, police said.
Neighbors said Crocker and Jacob’s mother had a tumultuous relationship and that they were often seen arguing around the apartment building.
"They get pretty raucous, very loud. And you can hear them banging and slamming and stuff like that,” said Nidia Ortiz, 49, who lived two floors above their apartment. “So it would get physical. You could hear the physicality of it."
Ortiz said she heard yelling on Tuesday night, but didn’t realize Jacob had been stabbed.
"You could hear that something was going on, but I didn't think that was what happened because I'm so used to it."
A high school friend described Jacob as an inquisitive young man.
"Malcolm was someone who was searching for knowledge. He wanted to know several different things about the world and he had a sense of humor,” said Anisha Smith Lane, 21, who attended school with Jacob at Jamaica High School. “He was a young man of exploration."
Lane added that Jacob was wrestling with demons since living in foster care.
"Every young man and woman needs a support system, and he didn't have anyone," Lane said. "He was having some issues, but I would talk him through... He seemed to be doing better."
Jacob was also an aspiring journalist at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, a school spokeswoman said.
Crocker was arraigned on Friday afternoon and held without bail. He is due back in court on March 25, prosecutors said.
