A 16-year-old suspect in a late-night stalking, robbery and murder case in Chinatown will be tried as an adult

In a tragic incident that has shaken the Chinatown community, a 16-year-old suspect is set to be tried as an adult following a late-night murder case. The event unfolded in Manhattan’s Chinatown on September 9, when a family from Fujian Province, China, found themselves in a confrontation with a robber who had followed them into their apartment building.

The victim, 59-year-old Ying Zhu Liu, was shot in the head during the altercation. The sequence of events began when Liu’s husband, Shen Yan, was tailed by at least two strangers as he returned home. Upon noticing the threat, Liu intervened alongside her son, Lin Rong Yan, in an effort to stop the robbery. The suspect, identified as Dante Schaller, was subsequently arrested and charged with murder, robbery, and burglary. Initially, his name was withheld due to his age.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has confirmed that Schaller had just turned 16 a few days prior to the incident and will now face charges as an adult. According to prosecutors, at the time of the crime, Schaller and an accomplice—who remains at large—entered the building alongside Yan while wearing masks to conceal their identities. As they attempted to rob the family at gunpoint, a significant amount of evidence, described as “substantial,” has been presented by the prosecution to Judge Stephen Antignani.

Reports indicate that when the elevator reached the eighth floor, Yan spotted his son waiting in the hallway and warned him to stay back, indicating that one of the assailants was armed. In a desperate attempt to assist his father, Lin was struck with the gun by one of the robbers. Liu, hearing the commotion, tried to intervene but was shot in the face from a distance of three feet, tragically marking her death shortly after.

Before his arrest, Schaller and his accomplice were recorded at a nearby deli wearing the same clothes as during the incident. Police later apprehended Schaller at his home in the Bronx, where they also discovered a live 9mm bullet.

Furthermore, it has come to light that Schaller had an unresolved felony case involving family court, and he had previously been sentenced to a year of probation for an attack earlier in June. Schaller’s attorney, Shari Vrod, has postponed his bail application, with plans to address it in the future. Consequently, Schaller will remain in custody until his court appearance on December 9.