A video caught the suspect laughing in a Manhattan court Monday during her trial for alleged murder, New York Post reported.
Samaria Lopez was accused of a fatal stabbing near a local bus terminal, according to the New York Post. She faced a judge and pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. The incident, which resulted in the death of 22-year-old Jordin Walston, was caught on surveillance footage showing Lopez allegedly stabbing Walston twice in the chest during an altercation June 11.
The situation in court escalated emotionally as Lopez reportedly smiled and chuckled during her arraignment, inciting anger from Walston’s relatives present in the courtroom, the outlet reported. This response from Lopez triggered a grieving family member to vocally express their outrage, leading to their removal by court officers.
The tattooed suspect accused of stabbing a woman to death in a savage caught-on-camera brawl outside Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal last month laughed as she faced a judge Monday — setting off one of the victim’s grieving relatives who had to be dragged out of court.… pic.twitter.com/BOEKOhs5kQ
— Crime In NYC (@CrimeInNYC) July 9, 2024
“That was funny … that sloppy nasty bitch,” the woman yelled, New York Post reported.
The confrontation between the two families began even before the proceedings, with disputes over seating arrangements in the courtroom. The families were seated on opposite sides after complaints from Walston’s family about the proximity to Lopez’s supporters, the outlet stated. (RELATED: ‘Significant Amount Of Blood’: Online Gaming Dispute Ends With Brutal, Real-Life Hammer Attack, Police Say)
The response continued as relatives of Walston hurled insults and predictions of retributive justice toward Lopez, who if convicted, faces life in prison, New York Post reported. The judge, Curtis Farber, emphasized the need for decorum in the courtroom, but the session remained charged until the families were escorted out separately. Lopez is scheduled to return to court Oct. 22, as the legal proceedings continue.
