Prosecutors say three children were inside the apartment during the early-morning attack.
BRONX, N.Y. — A Bronx man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death in their Concourse Village apartment pleaded not guilty and was ordered held in custody as prosecutors pursue charges that include second-degree murder in the death of 42-year-old Yesenia Hall, a mother of three.
Police say Hall was killed in a burst of violence just before 7 a.m. Feb. 28 at 956 Sherman Ave., and her 16-year-old son was also stabbed and hospitalized. The case is now moving through Bronx Criminal Court, where the defendant, Juan Rivas, 45, is being held on Rikers Island ahead of a Thursday court date. Investigators are continuing to collect evidence and witness accounts in a case that neighbors say has unsettled the building and the surrounding blocks.
According to police and court records, officers responded to 911 calls reporting an assault in progress inside the Sherman Avenue building. Neighbors said screaming woke them early that morning. When officers arrived, they found blood in a third-floor hallway leading to an apartment where the victims were discovered. Authorities said Hall had been stabbed multiple times in the neck, stomach and back. Her teenage son was found nearby with stab wounds to his neck and back. Both were taken to Lincoln Hospital, where Hall died. The boy was listed in stable condition and is expected to survive.
Police said Rivas fled the building shortly after the attack, but was later taken into custody. Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint that three children were inside the home during the violence. Hall’s daughter described seeing her brother stabbed, according to the complaint, while a third child stayed in a bedroom. Authorities have not released detailed information about what led up to the stabbing or what, if anything, was said inside the apartment before the assault. A motive has not been publicly described, and investigators have not said whether there were prior calls for help at the address.
The charge list against Rivas reflects both the death and the injuries to Hall’s son. Police said the defendant was charged with murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Prosecutors also said he faces endangering the welfare of a child, a count that can be filed when a child is placed at risk during an alleged crime. Court records reviewed by reporters did not include a full narrative of the incident, but officials said the wounds were severe enough to prompt multiple felony charges and a request that he be held while the case proceeds.
Hall’s death has spread quickly through Concourse Village, a section of the Bronx known for large apartment buildings and busy foot traffic near the Grand Concourse. Residents said the shock was amplified by the timing: a Saturday morning when families are often getting ready for errands, sports and chores. In interviews, neighbors described Hall as warm and driven, someone they saw moving through the building with purpose. “She was very young, very ambitious, very bright, brilliant,” neighbor Kim Antonio said. Other residents said the killing left them thinking about the children who were inside the apartment and the long recovery ahead for the surviving teen.
While detectives work the case, the court process is expected to focus on the evidence that can be presented quickly: medical findings, photographs, recorded 911 calls, witness statements and any video captured in the building or nearby streets. Prosecutors may also seek to document the movements of both Hall and Rivas that morning, including when the couple was last seen, what neighbors heard, and the timeline between the first screams and the first police arrival. Investigators have not said whether any weapon has been recovered, and authorities have not provided details about how Rivas was located after police say he ran from the scene.
Rivas’ not guilty plea means prosecutors must now build their case in a series of court appearances that can stretch for months. His next date is Thursday, March 5, when a judge is expected to review the status of evidence and any outstanding discovery requests. If prosecutors seek an indictment, the case could move to a grand jury presentation. The severity of the charges suggests the investigation will include detailed medical documentation, along with interviews of those who were in the apartment and those who heard the violence from nearby units.
In the meantime, neighbors said the building has tried to return to routine, even as residents replay what happened. Some said they saw police searching the hallway and knocking on doors after the attack. Others said they avoided the third-floor corridor entirely. Parents walking children through the lobby paused near the entrance where officers had been stationed, and residents described a tense quiet replacing the normal weekend chatter. Several neighbors said the incident renewed conversations about domestic violence and how quickly a private dispute can become deadly.
As of Tuesday, Rivas remained in custody and the teenage victim was recovering from his wounds, authorities said. The next public update is expected at the March 5 court appearance, when prosecutors and defense attorneys return before a judge to report on the status of the case.
Author note: Last updated March 4, 2026.