Staten Island suspect in ex-girlfriend’s friend murder arrested while eating pizza
Jonathan Griffin, a 40-year-old with dozens of prior arrests, was taken into custody after police identified him dining at a pizza stand and linked him to the July 2 stabbing of Kycell Terry.
Law enforcement officers observed Jonathan Griffin, a 40-year-old with roughly 25 prior arrests dating back to 2002, eating al fresco at the Pier 76 pizzeria near the Staten Island ferry terminal and approached him about a homicide. Griffin confessed to being the suspect in the July 2 murder of 25-year-old Kycell Terry, who was stabbed multiple times in the stomach inside the first-floor apartment of Griffin’s 28-year-old ex-girlfriend in Port Richmond.
The victim was discovered unconscious by the ex-girlfriend around 7 a.m., and emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene. Prosecutors noted Griffin was violating a protection order issued on December 12 and also accused him of tampering with the weapon. He was arraigned on charges including second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and criminal contempt, and was ordered held without bail. In addition, Griffin was arrested for allegedly damaging property during a June 20 rampage at a deli on Castleton Avenue.
Why it matters
The arrest highlights ongoing public safety concerns and the enforcement of protection orders in New York.
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