Officers arrest suspect for the brutal killing and disposal of a gay Black Brooklyn teen
An arrest was made in the death of a gay Black Brooklyn teen, whose body was found burned on Feb. 7.
Yesterday (May 11), authorities took 19-year-old Isiah Baez into custody. He was charged with killing DeAndre Matthews, also 19, New York Daily News reported.
The suspect’s arrest comes three months after DeAndre was discovered burned and shot in the head. On Wednesday (May 10), the victim’s mother, Danielle Matthews, spoke with the outlet about Baez and his actions. “He didn’t just shoot my son; he set him on fire and murdered him. I’m just numb,” she revealed. “Tell Isiah to go to h**l.”
In February 2023, Danielle reported her son missing after he borrowed her SUV and didn’t return home. Through a GPS tracker, she found her charred vehicle on Troy Ave. in Crown Heights, the outlet noted. Several miles away, her son DeAndre’s body was located in a remote area of Flatbush freight train tracks. According to Danielle, DeAndre and Baez “had been talking for over a year,” and there were photos of them on the teen’s phone.
Along with DeAndre’s death, Baez is also charged with weapon possession and tampering with physical evidence. On May 4, a second suspect, 24-year-old Remy McPrecia, was arrested and charged with concealment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. He resided near Baez, who stayed in Flatbush near where DeAndre was found.
During the interview, Danielle told the outlet that officers informed her Baez called McPrecia to help him dispose of her son’s body. Law enforcement also disclosed DeAndre’s phone indicated he was driven to Staten Island before being dumped in Flatbush.
At DeAndre’s funeral, Pastor Louis Straker spoke about the impact of his loss. “This should not have happened. Not to DeAndre. Not to someone filled with so much love and so many that love him in return. But an enemy has done this. This enemy has a four-letter name. Its name is called hate,” he said.
Thus far, local authorities have not indicated a motive for the teen’s death. However, DeAndre’s family believed he was murdered because of his sexual orientation.
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