Watch CBS News

Police: Queens Teen Fatally Stabbed By Barber Over Dispute Over Headphones

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A Queens barber has been charged with murder for allegedly stabbing a customer to death with scissors over a pair of headphones, police announced Friday.

As WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported, Cedric Simpson, 34, was arrested on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the fatal stabbing of Carl Richardson.

Police: Queens Teen Fatally Stabbed By Barber Over Dispute Over Headphones

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton the 19-year old college student had come into the Laurelton shop just before 2 p.m. to collect a debt and a fight ensued.

"Around the issue of a set of earphones or a bluetooth type of device between the owner and one of his customers," said Bratton. "During that dispute, a pair of scissors was used as a weapon that resulted in the death of one of the two individuals involved in that dispute."

Richardson was a student at Nassau Community College studying to become an occupational therapist. He was selling the headphones to help pay for a car, police said.

Richardson's grieving father, an MTA conductor, told the Daily News the murder of his son over a $40 set of headphones is trivial and senseless.

Simpson, the co-owner of the barber shop, was taken into custody at the scene.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.