Man charged with stabbing teen to death knew victim, police say

LONG BRANCH  — A teenage girl was fatally stabbed Saturday night by a man she knew, who was taken into custody and charged with the stabbing, according to police.

Bryan Cordero-Castro, 20, of Long Branch, was taken into custody after a 16-year-old was stabbed on Van Pelt Place in Long Branch and charged with first-degree murder, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni. The prosecutor said Cordero-Castro and the victim were "known to each other."

The girl lived in Long Branch, but did not live at the location of the stabbing, according to Gramiccioni. She was taken to Monmouth Medical Center where she passed away about 45 minutes later at 11:25 p.m., Gramiccioni said. There was no information provided on the girl's identity or a motive for the stabbing.

Cordero-Castro was also charged with third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and third-degree attempted escape. He will be held at the Monmouth County Jail.

Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Charlie Webster confirmed that Cordero-Castro  was in the United States illegally and is a resident of Guatemala.

Gramiccioni asked for anyone with information about this case to call the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533-7443 or Long Branch Police at 732-222-1000.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ