Prosecutors say three juveniles were inside the home during the alleged attack.
TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. — A 19-year-old man was indicted by an Erie County grand jury and held without bail after prosecutors said he fatally stabbed his grandmother with a knife inside a Town of Tonawanda home around noon on Feb. 16, 2026.
Authorities say the case moved quickly from arrest to indictment, placing the teen in felony court as investigators continue to gather evidence about what happened inside the Parkhurst Boulevard residence. Prosecutors allege the killing happened while three juveniles were present, a detail that added child endangerment charges and heightened attention around the court process.
Miguel A. Castro Jr., 19, of the Town of Tonawanda, appeared in Tonawanda Town Court after the grand jury returned an indictment charging him with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane said Castro is accused of intentionally causing the death of his grandmother, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was identified by police as 57-year-old Anna M. Moore. Prosecutors allege Castro stabbed her inside his residence on the 1100 block of Parkhurst Boulevard, a residential stretch in the town north of Buffalo. Keane said the stabbing happened at about noon and involved a knife. The case was assigned to Assistant District Attorney Frank A. Strano of the office’s Homicide Bureau, Keane said in a written announcement describing the charges and the next court date.
Investigators have not publicly detailed what led up to the stabbing, where in the home it occurred, or what the relationship dynamics were in the hours before police arrived. The district attorney’s office has described Moore as Castro’s grandmother and said the state is accusing him of acting intentionally. Officials have not said whether any other adults were present at the time, and they have not described the condition or ages of the juveniles who were inside the home when prosecutors say the stabbing occurred.
Castro was arraigned before Tonawanda Town Court Justice J. Mark Gruber. Keane said Castro was held without bail and scheduled to return to court on Feb. 19, 2026, at 2 p.m. for a felony hearing. A felony hearing, sometimes called a preliminary hearing, can be used to test whether prosecutors have enough evidence to hold a defendant for grand jury action. In Castro’s case, prosecutors have already said a grand jury indicted him, which can shift the case toward later court proceedings and possible motions, while the defense reviews evidence.
The indictment includes one count of murder in the second degree, a Class A-I felony in New York that carries some of the state’s toughest penalties. Prosecutors also charged Castro with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and three misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Keane said that if Castro is convicted of the top count, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
The allegations place the case at the intersection of violent crime and child welfare concerns, with prosecutors emphasizing that juveniles were inside the residence. Endangering the welfare of a child can be charged when an adult is accused of knowingly acting in a way likely to injure a child’s physical, mental, or moral welfare. Prosecutors have not publicly said whether the juveniles witnessed the stabbing or how close they were to the attack, and officials have not described whether they were removed from the home or placed with relatives after the killing.
Police have not described any 911 call recordings, dispatch logs, or public body camera footage related to the incident. Investigators also have not said whether they recovered the knife at the scene, whether Castro made statements to police, or whether prosecutors intend to argue the attack involved planning. Officials have described the investigation as ongoing, and Keane praised the Town of Tonawanda Police Department for its work.
In court, the focus in the early stages often turns to whether a defendant will be detained and what conditions, if any, could allow release while a case proceeds. Prosecutors said Castro was held without bail. New York’s bail laws allow detention in many violent felony cases, and prosecutors can argue a defendant should be held based on flight risk and other factors. Officials have not publicly described what arguments were made in the courtroom or whether the defense sought release.
The case also highlights how fast major felony cases can advance once investigators and prosecutors present evidence to a grand jury. A grand jury, made up of citizens, hears evidence presented by prosecutors and decides whether there is probable cause to issue an indictment. The grand jury process is generally secret, and records of testimony are typically not public. While prosecutors have said an indictment was returned, they have not released the indictment’s detailed language or any supporting filings that might explain the evidence presented.
Residents in the Parkhurst Boulevard area described the street as a quiet residential block where many neighbors recognize each other’s cars and routines. The allegations that a homicide occurred inside a home in the middle of the day, prosecutors said, rattled the area and drew police activity that neighbors said they noticed quickly. Officials have not released details about how long first responders were at the home or whether nearby streets were closed during the investigation.
Moore’s death was pronounced at the scene, prosecutors said, indicating paramedics were unable to save her. Authorities have not said whether an autopsy has been completed or what the medical examiner determined about the cause and manner of death beyond the allegation of fatal stab wounds. In homicide investigations, autopsy findings can become a key part of the evidence, especially when prosecutors seek to establish intent, the number of wounds and the sequence of events.
Castro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, prosecutors said in the standard legal caution included with the charging announcement. Defense attorneys in murder cases typically seek evidence about mental state, possible self-defense claims, and other factors that could reduce charges or shift responsibility. No defense claims have been made publicly in this case, and court records detailing any initial defense motions were not included in the public announcements.
What comes next will largely depend on court schedules and the pace of evidence disclosure. The felony hearing date set for Feb. 19 provides a near-term checkpoint, but cases can move into later stages such as discovery, motion practice and possible plea negotiations. Prosecutors have not said whether they will convene further grand jury sessions to add charges, and police have not said whether other people could face accusations connected to the case.
For now, officials have described the core allegations in plain terms: a midday stabbing inside a home, a grandmother killed, and children present. The indictment means the case will continue through the court system, with prosecutors seeking to prove the charges and the defense expected to challenge the state’s evidence.
The next scheduled milestone is the Feb. 19, 2026, felony hearing in Tonawanda Town Court, where the judge can address procedures and timelines as the case proceeds and investigators continue their work.
Author note: Last updated February 21, 2026.