An Albany teen whose harsh sentence for robbing a pair of sneakers led to the state changing the way it prosecutes youths has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill his mother with a steak knife.
Marquis Dixon, 19, was taken into custody by the Albany Police Department soon after the 1 a.m. incident on Saturday.
“B—h, I will kill you,” he allegedly sneered, while pointing the weapon at his mother in her home not far from the state Capitol.
In March 2014, Dixon had flashed what appeared to be a gun at a teen he lured to a McDonald’s parking lot after agreeing on Facebook to buy a pair of sneakers from the victim.
Dixon’s nine-year sentence for a first degree robbery conviction spawned the “raise the age” movement.
An appeals court later ruled that he should have received youthful offender status. He was released in October.
Dixon was subsequently charged with violating parole twice and spent roughly two months in substance abuse treatment.
He pleaded guilty earlier this month to possession of a forged instrument for passing counterfeit cash in one parole violation and now faces felony weapon possession and misdemeanor menacing charges for the incident involving his mother.
Community outrage over Dixon’s treatment over the stolen sneakers eventually resulted in changes to how New York State handles juveniles charged with violent felonies.
The new laws allow 16- and 17-year-olds to be prosecuted in youth courts. They also ensure that those under 18 are segregated from adult inmates in jails across the state.