A man was stabbed to death inside his Upper West Side apartment, and the search is on for multiple suspects who may have been involved, according to police.
The victim, Alfred Soto, was found dead by officers after a 911 call just before 10:30 a.m. Friday, police said. Soto, known as "Lobo" to friends and neighbors, was stabbed twice in the chest inside his building on West 96th Street.
The deadly encounter came after a confrontation with at least four or five men, who moments after left the scene in a U-Haul truck.
"He went to diffuse a problem. Things escalated and they stabbed him," said a friend of Soto's, who only wished to be identified by his last name, Ramirez.
Soto was rushed to a nearby hospital, but could not be saved. Investigators interviewed neighbors and gathered surveillance video, but it still was not clear what started the fight between the men.
Relatives and friends of Soto at the scene were visibly upset, wondering who the people responsible for the killing were.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
"He was trying to be a good guy. I guess that’s how he was killed," Ramirez said.
Manhattan news
From Midtown to the Upper West Side to the Lower East Side and all points between, NBC New York covers Manhattan news, weather, traffic and more.
Another neighbor said Soto had lived in the building since he was younger.
Investigators were still trying to piece together the details of the case and get a better description of the possible suspects.
