The Sept. 27 stabbing on Stewart Ave. was the product of a drug deal gone awry, according to court records obtained by The Sun.
Khaliq Gale, 21 — whom Ithaca police identified as a suspect in the crime last week — turned himself in on Friday, The Sun previously reported. Gale was charged with Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D Felony, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a Class A Misdemeanor.
Zachary Pealo, 27, the victim of the stabbing, said he arranged to sell Gale marijuana and met him near Stewart Ave. to complete the sale, according to the documents.
“I got a weird feeling when we were walking back to my Jeep because Lee was supposed to be alone and he had another male with him with his hood pulled down over his eyes,” Pealo wrote in his statement.
Gale took the box of marijuana as Pealo was retrieving it from his car and ran to the Stewart Ave. bridge, Pealo recounted. As the Pealo struggled to retrieve the box, Gale stabbed him in the thigh.
Pealo’s friend — who was present at the sale — attempted to intervene, but an unidentified man in a hood threatened him with a gun, IPD told The Ithaca Voice.
“Hey, you don’t want any part of it. It’s not worth it,” the hooded man reportedly said. Police have still not identified this second suspect and are asking that people to share any information they have about the crime.
Gale is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Wednesday at 2 p.m. Police are still searching for information on the second, unidentified suspect.