70 Year-old Man Accused Of Stabling His Friend To Death In New York, Claims Self Defense

The 70-year-old man who police say stabbed his midtown Manhattan roommate to death claims he was acting in self-defense and was released without bail following a Thursday arraignment.

The man identified as Michael Pinder was charged with attempted manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon slaying Joseph Pescitelli ,71 at Dorothy Ross Friedman Residence in Hell’s Kitchen Tuesday night.

Police responding to a 911 call at the residence on West 57th Street near Tenth Avenue found the victim in a bathtub “covered in blood with apparent stab wounds to his back and arm,” according to a criminal complaint.

Medics rushed him to Mount Sinai Morningside, but he could not be saved. Pinder was taken to the same hospital to be treated for slash wounds to his hands and chest, according to authorities.

At his Thursday arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, it was revealed that  Pinder told police after his arrest that Pescitelli was the initial aggressor and he stabbed him to save his own life.

Pinder has five prior arrests in the city but has not come into contact with the police since 2000, officials said.

Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office requested Pinder be placed under supervised release pending his next court appearance, on Jan. 22