Good Samaritan Who Tried to Intervene in Fight Dies as 3 Others Are Wounded in Fatal Stabbing

Authorities in New York have arrested one suspect in connection to a stabbing that wounded three men and killed one Good Samaritan who was trying to intervene.

William Smith, 45, was arrested on Sunday and charged with murder, robbery and three counts of assault following the fatal incident, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department tells PEOPLE.

The stabbing occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Friday night when authorities received a call about an assault near Sunset Park in Brooklyn, according to police.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found Yong Zheng, 46, and two other men lying on the ground, each suffering from stab wounds.

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Zheng was transported to NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, where he later died of his injuries.

The two other men — identified only as a 39-year-old man and a 42-year-old man — were also taken to the hospital for treatment.

A fourth victim, who authorities say was a 49-year-old man, was found with a puncture wound at the scene and treated on location.

According to CBS New York, the stabbing broke out after a group of men had been robbed at an illegal gambling den nearby and they chased the robbery suspect out onto the street.

A fight then broke out when in Zheng, who was was returning from dinner with his family, ran over to intervene, police told the outlet.

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Zheng was stabbed in the torso four times, according to authorities.

He was a father of two who worked as a bus driver in Chinatown, WABC reported.

"He heard a robbery — he didn't know what was going on," Zheng's wife, Jin Zhao, told the outlet. "He saw a crime, he tried to stop it."

Police tell PEOPLE that an investigation is ongoing.

It's unclear if Smith has obtained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

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