Police say the attacker fled after the assault near Flynn Playground in the South Bronx.
BRONX, NY — A 53-year-old man was stabbed to death Monday afternoon on a South Bronx sidewalk near Flynn Playground, according to police. The attack happened around 2 p.m. near Third Avenue and East 157th Street, and the assailant ran off before officers arrived.
The killing unfolded beside a small neighborhood park at the edge of the Melrose and Mott Haven sections, a busy stretch lined with storefronts and buses. Detectives said the victim, identified by authorities as George Ennin, was taken by EMS to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, where he was pronounced dead. Police from the 40th Precinct are leading the investigation, reviewing nearby cameras and canvassing for witnesses. No arrests had been announced Monday night. The case adds urgency to early-year public-safety concerns as investigators work to learn whether the stabber knew the victim and what set off the violence.
Shortly before 2 p.m., surveillance video captured a man with a knife walking past a woman pushing a stroller and then stopping near a corner by the park, according to authorities familiar with the footage. Investigators said the attacker appeared to focus on Ennin as he approached the intersection. The assailant tripped Ennin, who fell to the pavement, then stabbed him several times as he lay on the sidewalk, police said. “It was fast, and people were screaming,” a nearby deli worker said, describing a chaotic scene of bystanders backing away as traffic slowed on Third Avenue. Officers responding to 911 calls found Ennin bleeding on the ground and began first aid before medics rushed him to Lincoln Hospital.
Police said Ennin lived two blocks from the site. The suspected attacker fled east after the stabbing, according to a preliminary account from officers at the scene. Investigators collected a knife sheath and other potential evidence and are analyzing video from storefront cameras along Third Avenue and East 157th Street. Officials did not immediately release a detailed description of the suspect. As of late Monday, it remained unknown whether the victim and the assailant had any prior contact, whether words were exchanged before the assault, or whether the attack followed an earlier dispute elsewhere. Detectives are also checking recent incidents in the area for any pattern or connection.
Flynn Playground sits on a block bounded by East 157th Street, East 158th Street, Brook Avenue and Third Avenue, a compact park that serves families in Melrose and Mott Haven. The intersection is part of a dense transit and retail hub often referred to as the South Bronx’s “Hub” district. In recent years, the immediate area has seen new apartment buildings and retail alongside long-established bodegas and discount shops. Violent crime in the precinct has fluctuated with seasonal trends, and pedestrian traffic is typically heavy on weekday afternoons with schools letting out and parents using the playground and nearby after-school programs. Monday’s fatal stabbing happened during that busy period.
Homicide detectives with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office were notified, and the city medical examiner will determine the official cause of death following an autopsy. Police said they are compiling a timeline using 911 records, hospital logs, and surveillance video from city cameras and private businesses. If investigators identify a suspect, they could seek an arrest on charges including murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Officials said more information could be released after next-of-kin notifications and once detectives confirm whether any prior disputes or orders of protection exist involving the parties. The NYPD typically provides case updates at regular briefings when significant developments occur.
On the block Monday evening, a small crowd gathered near yellow tape strung along the park fence and a shuttered storefront. “We bring our kids to this park every day,” said Mariela Ortiz, who lives nearby. “Seeing this in the middle of the afternoon is terrifying.” A street vendor who gave his name as Luis said he heard a commotion, then saw people rushing away from the corner. “By the time I looked, the man was already on the ground,” he said. A maintenance worker at a nearby building described officers moving along the sidewalk and asking residents whether their cameras recorded the suspect passing by after the attack.
As of late Monday, police had not announced an arrest. Detectives were expected to continue interviews and video collection overnight, with the next update anticipated Tuesday after the medical examiner’s findings and additional canvassing. Ennin’s name will remain central to the investigation as officers build a timeline of his last movements and contacts. The block near Flynn Playground reopened to traffic Monday night, but a small memorial of candles began to form on the corner. The case remains active.
Author note: Last updated January 5, 2026.