The 20-year-old mall employee who is accused of stabbing and killing a teen and injuring another at Westfield shopping center in Meriden in September should not be charged, according to the state’s attorney.
Investigators determined that the employee, who has not been publicly named, was an innocent victim and was acting in self-defense when he was attacked by Deandre Felton, 15, and DeShawn Jones, 13, on Sept. 21.
Police have said Felton and Jones were high on drugs and jumped the 20-year-old on Kensington Avenue.
Felton died from a stab wound to the chest less than hour later, according to officials.
After the double stabbing, the Office of the New Haven State’s Attorney was asked to review the case and determine what, if any criminal charges, were to be filed.
State’s Attorney Michael Dearington’s report was released on Thursday. After investigating, he determined that the man accused of stabbing the teens did not intend to injure the boys when he pulled a knife. Instead, he intended to scare them and end the attack.
When the employee heard steps behind him, he stepped aside to allow them to pass but was brutally assaulted, according the Dearington’s report.
He told investigators that one of the boys grabbed him by the legs and tried to pick him up or push him to the ground. He also described blocking blows to his face.
He told police he unintentionally stabbed both boys while fighting off the attack, then ran to a hospital door but was unable to get inside.
He then went to the mall and took a 10 p.m. bus to his apartment, according to the report. He said he tried to call a friend, but was unable to get through and did not call police because he was afraid since he realized that he had stabbed one of his attackers.
Witnesses, who police said are students, told police they were leaving the mall in Meriden with Deandre Felton around 9 p.m. on Sep. 21 to go to the home of one of the youths.
Felton and the other victim had spoken of smoking marijuana and appeared to be high, witnesses said, according to police, and Felton was acting weird.
They also told police that Felton or the other teen commented that they wanted to hit someone and liked fighting, according to police.
As the group passed through the Midstate Medical Center parking lot, Felton and the other teen ran up to the 20-year-old man who was walking on the sidewalk along Kensington Avenue and attacked him, according to police.
“The known conduct and statements of Deandre Felton and (DeShawn Jones) shortly before the incident were extremely threatening,” the reports states. “They were heard to say they liked fighting, wanted to fight and wanted to start trouble.”
