Connecticut Teen Charged As Adult In Fatal Stabbing Allegedly Over Spilled Coffee

STAMFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A 15-year-old boy accused of killing a complete stranger is being charged as an adult with murder.

Marquest Hall, of Stamford, was arraigned Tuesday in the fatal stabbing of Antonio Muralles, 52, last Wednesday outside the McDonald's on Bedford Street.

The lead prosecutor said he can't recall a case in which a 15-year-old was charged as an adult in a murder case, WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported.

Hall instigated the attack after Muralles accidentally bumped into the teen and spilled coffee on him, police said.

"The victim attempted to apologize, and the suspect took out a knife and stabbed the victim repeatedly," Capt. Richard Conklin told Schneidau.

Hall apparently had been itching for a fight. According to police, he was heard telling a group just before the stabbing, "Who is going to be the next person to get cut?"

James McLamb, 22, of New Haven, also has been charged in the case after he stomped and pummeled the dying man as he lay bleeding out on the sidewalk, police said.

Hall's arraignment was held in a fourth-floor courtroom at state Superior Court in Stamford, closed except to his immediate family. He was accompanied by his mother and his lawyer.

Ordinarily minors are handled in juvenile court, and they are not identified to the public.

But because the charge is so serious, Hall's case is being handled the same way as those of adults accused of the most serious crimes, and his case will proceed publicly like an adult's would.

Judge Richard Comerford ordered Hall kept in custody on a $2 million bond, and the boy was put back on a bus to the Bridgeport Juvenile Detention Center.

Hall's defense lawyer, Mark Sherman, declined to comment on the details of the allegations.

"We will take a close look at the surveillance recordings, police reports and witness statements," he said. "Anytime someone this young is accused of murder, it's critical to proceed thoroughly and with compassion for all of the parties involved."

During the brief hearing, Sherman was granted a motion to preserve Muralles' blood evidence.

Hall faces life in prison if convicted.

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