Arrest made over fatal stabbing in Croydon

South Norwood stab victim David Darko. Pic: Met police.

South Norwood stab victim David Darko. Pic: Met police.

A 19-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of David Darko, 21, Scotland Yard has confirmed. The teenager is being held in police custody in south London after being arrested yesterday, Tuesday.

Mr Darko, from Addiscombe, was found “unresponsive”, at South Norwood recreational ground, close to Tennison Road on Saturday.  A post-mortem examination confirmed that the cause of death was a stab wound.  He was formally identified and next of kin informed. He had celebrated his 21st birthday just under two weeks ago.

The park was cordoned off over the weekend but was reopened to the public on Monday. People living nearby were shocked at what had happened.

Maria Takacs, who lives locally, said: “I just heard about it. It’s just awful.”

Another passerby, when asked how she felt about the safety of the area said: “This area – safe? Never. Never safe.”

This latest death comes as Metropolitan police statistics show a rise in violent crime incidents from 791 in 2014, to 826 in 2015.  Local residents have expressed a mixture of sadness and frustration, as crime reports for Croydon show no evidence of improvement in recent months.

Tributes have been pouring in on social media with one user tweeting:

Floral tributes at South Norwood Recreational Ground for David Darko. Pic: Jasmin Dyer

Floral tributes at South Norwood Recreational Ground for David Darko. Pic: Jasmin Dyer

Detective Inspector David Reid from the Homocide and Major Crime Command is leading the ongoing investigation.

Police have urged anyone with information to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4054 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Callers can remain anonymous. 

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