Authorities say the alleged stabbing happened at a Parkhurst Boulevard home around noon.
TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. — A 19-year-old Town of Tonawanda man was indicted and ordered held without bail after prosecutors said he stabbed his grandmother to death with a knife inside his home around noon on Feb. 16, 2026, while three juveniles were present.
The homicide case centers on a midday attack that prosecutors say unfolded inside a residence on Parkhurst Boulevard and ended with the victim pronounced dead at the scene. The indictment and early court dates put the legal process on a fast track, even as officials have kept many details about motive and the moments before police arrived out of public view.
Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane said Miguel A. Castro Jr., 19, was arraigned in Tonawanda Town Court on a charge of second-degree murder, along with one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Keane said the defendant is accused of intentionally causing the death of his grandmother and that a knife was used in the attack.
Police identified the victim as 57-year-old Anna M. Moore. Prosecutors said the stabbing happened inside Castro’s residence on the 1100 block of Parkhurst Boulevard, a residential corridor lined with single-family homes in the Town of Tonawanda, north of Buffalo. Officials have not said what prompted the confrontation, whether anyone tried to intervene, or how quickly emergency crews were called after the attack began.
In the days after Moore’s death, the case moved from an initial arrest into grand jury review. A grand jury indictment is a formal accusation that allows prosecutors to proceed on felony charges. Authorities said Castro appeared in court after the indictment was returned and was held without bail. In New York, second-degree murder is among the most serious state charges, and the decision to detain a defendant can shape the early trajectory of a case as lawyers begin to litigate evidence and court schedules.
Keane said Castro was arraigned before Tonawanda Town Court Justice J. Mark Gruber. The district attorney’s office said Castro is scheduled to return to court at 2 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2026, for a felony hearing. Although felony hearings are often used to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to hold a defendant for grand jury action, prosecutors in this case have already said the grand jury issued an indictment, which can move the matter toward later proceedings and set the stage for motions and discovery.
Prosecutors have not publicly described the evidence they presented to the grand jury. Grand jury proceedings are generally confidential, and the details of testimony or exhibits are typically not released at this stage. Authorities have not said whether investigators recovered the knife in the home, whether there were signs of a struggle, or whether Castro made statements that prosecutors plan to use.
Still, officials have emphasized two core details in their public descriptions: the alleged use of a knife and the presence of juveniles. Prosecutors said three juveniles were inside the home when the stabbing occurred. They charged Castro with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, reflecting the allegation that children were put at risk during a deadly assault. Officials have not released the juveniles’ ages, their relationship to Castro or Moore, or whether they witnessed the stabbing.
The charging documents also include a fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon count. That charge can apply in a range of circumstances, including possession of certain weapons or prior disqualifying factors. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed what specific theory they plan to use on that count, and they have not described whether other items were seized from the home.
If convicted of the top charge, Castro faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison, Keane said. The district attorney’s office noted the case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Frank A. Strano of the Homicide Bureau, a unit typically assigned to the county’s most serious violent cases. Keane also publicly commended the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, saying officers and detectives were doing ongoing investigative work.
Authorities have not said whether there is surveillance video from nearby homes or doorbell cameras, or whether digital evidence such as phone records will be part of the case. In domestic homicide investigations, prosecutors often rely on a combination of forensic evidence, witness statements, medical examiner findings and any statements made by the suspect. Officials have not publicly described what the medical examiner found beyond the allegation that Moore suffered fatal stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The allegations drew attention in a community where many streets are quiet during winter afternoons, with limited pedestrian traffic and neighbors often noticing emergency vehicles quickly. Residents in the area said they saw police activity on Parkhurst Boulevard and later learned a grandmother had died. No public memorial details or funeral arrangements were included in official statements, and authorities have not discussed whether victim support services have been offered to Moore’s relatives.
The defense has not publicly outlined its position, and no public statements from Castro’s attorney were included in the initial charging announcements. In murder prosecutions, early litigation can focus on evidence handling, the legality of searches, and questions about mental state, intent and whether there are defenses that could reduce or change charges. At this stage, prosecutors have framed the case as an intentional killing.
Keane included the standard legal caution that Castro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. That presumption governs the case as it moves beyond initial appearances into the longer phase of felony prosecution, which can include hearings, motions, plea discussions and, if no resolution is reached, a trial.
The next step on the calendar is the Feb. 19, 2026, felony hearing in Tonawanda Town Court, where the judge can address procedures and timelines while the investigation and prosecution continue.
Author note: Last updated February 21, 2026.