Sibling Argument Leads To Fatal Stabbing In New Jersey

Travis Gallo, 17, was charged Friday with fatally stabbing his 20-year-old sister Teia Gallo after an argument Thursday evening in their suburban Washington Township home, and his family is devastated, reports North Jersey.com.

Their father, Dr. Robert James Gallo, a well-known gynecologist in Hackensack, New Jersey, said that he had “no idea” what his children were arguing about when the tragedy occurred.

Travis Gallo, was one of 3 adoptees in the large family of 12 children, whom neighbors called “close knit.”

“There are two lives lost,” Dr. Gallo said in a telephone interview Friday morning. “It’s a tragedy.”

NorthJersey.com has more:

A senior assistant Bergen County prosecutor, Denyse Coyle-Galda, said she will review the case to determine whether to recommend transferring it to an adult court. She said the law requires considering the nature of the crime, the use of a weapon and resulting injuries, and whether a defendant has a criminal history, among other factors.

Prosecutors have 30 days to make such a recommendation to a judge, who would then hold a hearing to make a final determination. A juvenile convicted of murder faces a maximum of 20 years of incarceration while an adult murder conviction carries a minimum of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison.

Friday morning, the front porch of the Gallos’ home on Pershing Avenue was cordoned off with yellow police tape, a single police cruiser parked on the street. The family was not at home. A police official initially said that another member of the family had been injured at the home during Thursday’s altercation. However, Molinelli and Robert Gallo, the father, said no one else was injured.

Robert Gallo posted a photo of Teia Gallo on Facebook on Friday morning with the comment: “Rest peacefully, angel.” Other family members followed suit, posting photos of Teia that drew many responses as people offered condolences.