Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that a 17-year-old male from Buffalo pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon before Youth Part Judge Brenda Freedman to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class B violent felony). The adolescent offender entered a guilty plea to the highest sustainable charge and sole count of the indictment.
On Sunday, May 4, 2025, at approximately 5:45 p.m., Buffalo Police were dispatched after receiving a 911 call from a witness who saw the assault of an elderly man near the corner of Parkdale Avenue and Forest Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The adolescent offender repeatedly kicked and stomped the victim in the head after he fell to the ground.
Responding officers located the adolescent offender, who matched the description of the suspect, to a nearby and followed him to a residence on Baynes Street where he was taken into custody. The victim, 88-year-old Andrew Krawczuk, also known as Andrew Krawchuk, was taken by ambulance to ECMC where he later died from the injuries on Monday, June 2, 2025.
The adolescent offender was 16-years-old at the time of the homicide. Due to his age and eligibility for youthful offender adjudication, our office will not be releasing his name while the matter is pending sentence in the Youth Part of Superior Court.
The adolescent offender is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. He continues to be held without bail in the custody of the Erie County Youth Services Center.
DA Keane commends Detective Sgt. Rachael Isch, Officer Justin Ayala, Officer Mohammad Abdallah and Officer Steven Zappia of the Buffalo Police Department for their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Nicholas Marino of the Raise the Age/Motor Vehicle Theft Insurance Fraud Unit and Assistant District Attorney Ryan Emmerling of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau.