NYC detective who interrogated 13-year-old murder suspect in Tessa Majors case has a checkered history on force, beat female inmate: lawyers

Detective Wilfredo Acevedo is pictured before testifying in Family Court on Tuesday. (Alec Tabak/for New York Daily News)

NYC detective who interrogated 13-year-old murder suspect in Tessa Majors case has a checkered history on force, beat female inmate: lawyers

By MOLLY CRANE-NEWMAN

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |

FEB 25, 2020 | 6:46 PM

A New York City detective who interrogated a 13-year-old murder suspect connected to the death of Barnard College freshman Tessa Majors has a checkered history on the NYPD that includes once beating a female inmate so badly she required hospitalization, the boy’s lawyers claimed Tuesday.

A first-year Barnard College student was fatally stabbed during a robbery gone wrong in Morningside Park Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, just steps away from Columbia University, police sources said. Tessa Majors, pictured, was walking down a set of steps to the park on W. 116th St. near Morningside Drive when a group of young men confronted her and tried to rob her, sources said. One of the men knifed her repeatedly in the stomach, and the group scattered, according to sources.

Hannah Kaplan of the Legal Aid Society grilled Det. Wilfredo Acevedo of Manhattan North’s Homicide squad at a hearing in Manhattan family court about a number of substantiated complaints against him dating back to 2008.

“(On Sept. 24, 2014), isn’t it true that you approached a woman inside a cell at the 32nd Precinct and attacked her. Do you recall that?” Kaplan asked, citing internal disciplinary findings from the NYPD.

“That is incorrect, I’ve never attacked anyone,” Acevedo replied.
Kaplan then asked if he remembered how the woman ended up in Bellevue Hospital with swelling to her arms and wrists, which he declined to answer.


Defense attorneys claim Acevedo misled the Harlem boy and his uncle about their rights to have an attorney present when he conducted the initial interrogation Dec. 12 at Manhattan’s 26th Precinct. Majors was fatally stabbed during a mugging in Morningside Park in Harlem Dec. 11.

Acevedo testified Tuesday during a one-day training session he attended on interrogating suspects, he was taught how to “lie” and “deceive” his subject.

“You are taught to suggest to a suspect that confessing is in their best interest?” Kaplan asked.

“That is correct,” the detective said.

“You did not tell (the uncle) that if (he) requested an attorney — that even if (his nephew) was refusing to answer questions, you would stop questioning?” Kaplan asked.


“No, I did not,” Acevedo said.
Acevedo has been sued a number of times for false arrests, withholding exculpatory evidence, and fabricating accusations, court papers show.

The NYPD did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The detective and others were sued last year by Darius Roseborough for busting into his home without a warrant and falsely arresting him for a shooting for which they knew he was innocent. Roseborough claims in his Manhattan Civil Supreme Court suit the shooting victim was in intensive care and unable to identify his assailants.

Roseborough further alleges Acevedo falsely claimed to have recovered gun parts in his apartment and failed to share exculpatory evidence showing no fingerprints or DNA on the firearms, court papers show.

The youngest suspect in custody for Majors’ death faces felony murder, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon charges.

Cops claim the 5-foot-5 suspect, who has been in police custody since his interrogation, told detectives his friend dropped a knife, and that he picked it up and handed it back shortly before Majors was killed.


Though the child is not believed to be responsible for stabbing Majors, authorities say his own admissions and proximity to the crime make him responsible.
Rashaun Weaver, 14, was arrested and charged as an adult with robbery and murder on Feb. 15 after his DNA was discovered beneath Majors’ fingernails, authorities said. Luciano Lewis, 14, surrendered to police four days later and was hit with the same charges.