The police have named the victim of Thursday night’s fatal stabbing in Ashburton Park as 15-year-old Zaian Aimable-Lina.
Victim: Zaian Aimable-Lina was the fourth Croydon teenager killed through knife crime in 2021
A post-mortem examination conducted yesterday gave the cause of death as a stab wound to the heart.
The police arrested another 15-year-old boy on Friday on suspicion of murder, who was bailed until late January.
The police announced today that a second 15-year-old boy was arrested on Saturday in connection with the fatal stabbing. He remains in custody at a south London police station.
Zaian Aimable-Lina is one of 30 teenagers to be killed in knife attacks in London in 2021, and he was the fourth such victim in Croydon alone during the last calendar year.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Leonard, of the Specialist Crime Command, said: “The boy’s family have suffered a shocking loss and it is now up to us to find the answers to the questions that they are asking.
“The community can help us. Police and local people must work together to catch violent criminals and bring them to justice. If you have information that can help, you must do the right thing and contact us immediately.”
Superintendent Dan Knowles, of the South Area Command Unit, which polices Croydon, said: “This tragic loss of a young life on our streets has rightly and understandably caused considerable concern among the local community.
“Our colleagues in Specialist Crime are continuing their investigation and my officers are carrying out enhanced patrols in the local area. I urge anyone who can help us to approach those officers and tell us what you know.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference CAD 5443/30Dec. To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
From our archive: ‘Our failure can be read on the headstones of dead youth’
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