‘Brooklyn Ripper’ guilty of fatally stabbing six-year-old boy

A homeless man is facing life behind bars for the murder of a young boy and the attempted murder of the boy’s best friend in a horror attack in a New York City lift.

Daniel St Hubert, who has been dubbed the ‘Brooklyn Ripper’, stabbed six-year-old Prince Joshua Avitto and seven-year-old Mikayla Capers with a nine-inch knife during the 2014 attack, the New York Post reports.

The childhood friends were alone in the lift before Hubert stepped aboard were on their way to buy some ice cream.

St Hubert attacked the children with a nine-inch blade for continuing to talk after he told them to quiet down. Avitto died of his injuries, while Capers survived his 16 stab wounds.

While in custody, St Hubert reportedly made the claim: “the devil made me do it”.

After deliberating for two days, a jury found Hubert guilty of Avitto’s murder and attempted murder of Capers.

In response to St Hubert’s conviction for his friend’s murder, Capers, who is now 11, said: “Good. Now the bad man can never hurt anybody else. I’m going to let PJ know so he can rest in peace”.

St Hubert’s lawyer, Howard Greenberg, has vowed to appeal, insisting his client was framed. He also labelled Capers “a pathological liar”.

St Hubert will be sentenced on May 15.