One dead, one seriously injured after twin sisters stabbed in New York deli

Twin 19-year-old sisters were each stabbed in a Brooklyn deli early Sunday, leaving one dead and the other receiving treatment in hospital, police and witnesses said.

Police said in a short statement that Samiya Spain died from a stab wound to her chest. Her sister, who has not yet been identified, suffered a wound to her arm but was in a stable condition, police said.

NYPD said the attack took place at about 2:20 a.m. inside a deli in the Park Slope neighborhood, on the corner of Saint Mark's Place and 4th Avenue, a short walk from Spain's home on Nevins Street.

"Upon arrival, officers observed a 19-year-old female with a stab wound to the chest and a second 19-year-old female with a stab wound to the arm," police said.

Emergency medical services took both women to the New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital where one was pronounced deceased.

"There are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing at this time," police added.

A witness, who asked not to be named, told NBC New York that an argument began after a man complimented the women and said he found them attractive, but was rejected. He called them names, the witness said, then left the deli.

"He walked down the block angry. And then two or three minutes later he comes up and starts banging and kicking on the glass door trying to get in," the witness said, adding that the deli staff had locked the door to prevent him re-entering.

"The second they opened the door, he ran back into the door and started attacking them,” the witness said.

Alphonso Goodson, the girls’ grandfather, told the New York Post: "He walked in and started hitting on her. She said, ‘I don’t want to be bothered with you. Leave me alone.’ Then the storeowner put him out."

"He was waiting for them,” Goodson said. "He took it the wrong way. He came after them. That was wrong. That was dead wrong. I hope they catch this guy."

Tony Herbert, a Democrat New York Assembly candidate for Brooklyn, called for tougher penalties for violent crimes in a news conference Sunday.

"We have make sure that people understand that if you pull out a knife on somebody, you're going to go to jail," he said.