By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, April 2: Three months after the incident, police have arrested a 35-year-old bar bouncer in the case of Tsering Wangdu who was killed on New Year’s Day in New York City, according Daily News.
Torrence Holmes was apprehended at his Manhattan residence on 23 March in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 29-year-old Tibetan youth from Nepal in Manhattan, New York, USA.
Wangdu was fatally knifed during an early morning brawl that started at the KTM Bar and Lounge in Queens and later escalated into a violent melee near the vicinity of the bar near 76th St. in Elmhurst. Holmes faces charges including manslaughter, criminal possession of a weapon, and tampering with evidence. The arrest comes nearly three months after the incident occurred.
According to police reports, Wangdu was stabbed in the leg, while his 30-year-old roommate sustained a severe slash to the chest and face. Both victims were promptly transported to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where Wangdu succumbed to his injuries.
Friends of the victim have described Wangdu as a “peacekeeper all the time” and shared that he had aspirations of sponsoring a Tibetan orphan to bring to America. “He was a very nice guy,” the neighbour said of Wangdu to Daily News. “He drives Uber and does food delivery. He was a hard-working immigrant.”
A US-based Tibetan Jigme Ugen, in response to the tragic assault, called for justice and accountability on social media when the incident happened months ago. He wrote, “The media calls it NYC’s first homicide in 2024 but our tiny community, it will indelibly remain painfully etched in our history. The Tibetan community across the world remains devastated and grieves this loss, and prays for his friend’s recovery.”
