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Mother Of Boy Stabbed to Death In Brooklyn Elevator Sues City

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The mother of a 6-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in a public housing elevator in East New York, Brooklyn last year is filing a lawsuit against the City of New York.

Aricka McClinton alleged in the lawsuit that officials carelessly left a long-broken front door unfixed and surveillance cameras uninstalled.

Prince Joshua ``P.J.'' Avitto's mother is seeking unspecified damages in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Brooklyn.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio called Prince's death tragic and says the city will review the suit. The New York City Housing Authority declined to comment.

The monstrous knife attack in June of last year at the Boulevard Houses horrified the city.

P.J. and his 7-year-old friend, Mikayla Capers, were playing outside that Sunday evening when they went upstairs to get some ice cream from P.J.'s sixth-floor apartment.

That was when police said Daniel St. Hubert followed them into the elevator and used a steak knife to stab each child multiple times. P.J. died at a hospital and was buried later in June. Mikayla survived.

St. Hubert has pleaded not guilty. He has a history of mental problems but has been found fit to stand trial in the stabbings.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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