Dozens of family members of 47-year-old Travis James were at the police station in New Haven on Tuesday. Many are relieved at how quickly an arrest was made in the stabbing that killed their loved one, but know there is still a long road ahead.
“I actually was riding by the incident at the time. When I heard it was Travis, it was a lot for us,” said New Haven’s Michael Massey.
Travis James, 47, a father of three, was stabbed to death in New Haven on June 1.
“He will not be able to see them graduate. Get married, and he also leaves behind a grieving mother, sisters and numerous hurt family members,” said Travis’ aunt, Teresa Clark.
On Tuesday, many of those family members clung to pictures of James while trying to find solace in a prompt arrest made by the New Haven Police Department.
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“Even though he has been arrested, it will still be a long process. We still have to go to court. We have to go to court to see the killer. That’s going to be a difficult journey for us,” Clark said.
Officials say James was stabbed around 1 a.m. on June 1 after getting into an argument outside Sam’s Food Store on Whalley Ave.
“Detectives secured video evidence capturing parts of the incident, still images of the suspect who was fatally stabbed,” said Lt. Pedro Colon.
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Officials say police body camera video, as well as a picture taken by a nearby surveillance camera, helped lead to an arrest.
“We got a lot of calls and we got people to make this guy turn himself in,” said New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
With the help of the community, 48-year-old Antwine Mike turned himself in to police within 48 hours of the stabbing.
“Between the cameras, the cops, and the community we’re really seeing being able to make arrests quickly,” Chief Jacobson said.
The incident marked New Haven’s 6th homicide of the year, half as many as there were at this time in 2023.
