Suspect in fatal NYC assault laughs in court, angering victim’s family

The tattooed suspect accused of stabbing a woman to death during a wild fight caught on camera outside the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan last month laughed in front of a judge Monday — sparking anger among one of the victim’s grieving relatives who had to be dragged out of court.

Samaria Lopez flashed a grim smile and laughed as she pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the vicious attack that left 22-year-old Jordin Walston dead.

Graphic surveillance footage captured the moment Lopez, 22, lunged at Walston during a sidewalk fight around 10:15 p.m. near the intersection of West 40th Street and Eighth Avenue on June 11.

Lopez then allegedly stabbed Walston twice in the chest, puncturing her aorta — and even taunted her as she fought for her life, prosecutors said during his Supreme Court arraignment.

The victim was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Lopez fled the bloody scene and was arrested by police three days later after trying to cover her tracks by changing her phone numbers and addresses, prosecutors said.

Before Monday’s court appearance, Lopez and Walston’s families had to be separated and forced to sit on opposite sides of the courtroom after the victim’s family complained that the alleged killer’s side refused to move to another area to give them space.

The argument led to a fight between the families, with tensions only increasing when Lopez entered, sporting a wide, devilish grin.

The smiling suspect, who has a prominent neck tattoo, triggered one of Walston’s relatives, who then had to be physically removed from the courtroom.

“That dirty f***ing b**ch,” the unidentified family member said after seeing Lopez smile.

The woman continued to mutter insults and sarcastically called Lopez’s smirk “cute” as she was dragged out of the courtroom by several court officers.

“That was funny… that disgusting bitch,” the woman shouted.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber told the court he would not tolerate bad behavior before arraigning Lopez, who faces life in prison if convicted of murder.

However, that didn’t stop another member of the victim’s family from launching a fresh attack, when she was heard telling Lopez’s family that her “baby was going to die the same way” as Walston.

The families were eventually escorted separately from the courtroom by court officials.

Lopez’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 22.