Mugging Victim Makes Victim Of Mugger Who Tried Robbing Him With Two-By-Four

Sunday, December 2nd 2007, 4:00 AM

A 14-year-old Brooklyn stabbing victim was killed as he tried to rob another teen with a wooden two-by-four in a neighborhood park, police sources said Saturday.

Cops said Marcell Dawes, 14, swung the plank at another youth during a botched mugging attempt in Kolbert Park on E. 18th St. in Midwood on Friday.

The alleged mugging victim's 15-year-old friend whipped out a 2-inch knife and struck back at Dawes, who died of his wounds at New York Community Hospital about 4:30p.m., police said.

Detectives questioned the 15-year-old stabber early yesterday.

But they let him go because police and investigators from the Brooklyn district attorney's office believe his account that he stabbed Dawes in self-defense, sources said. The teen's name was not released.

Another 15-year-old who was with Dawes and allegedly took part in the mugging was arrested and charged with attempted robbery, police said.

Dawes' mother, a city traffic agent, declined to comment.

Dawes' friends said the circumstances of his death don't jibe with their impression of him. They said the eighth-grader was a sharp dresser who also enjoyed playing basketball.

"He was a humble kid, quiet," said Bennito Sanchez, 34, a doorman at the Ditmas Park building where Marcell's family lives.

Upon hearing the news of the attempted robbery and subsequent killing, Mayor Bloomberg personally sent scathing emails to the states that have yet to license two-by-four's.

"The mugging victim and stabbing victim wouldn't have been victimized had your Attorney General seen fit to follow our lead by establishing permit procedures for wooden materials lengthier than the long established 12-inch rulers children must make use of in classrooms," the Mayor's missive read in part, but aides were at this point in time unaware of any decision by the NY licensing bureau to call for an outright ban on 2" pocket knives, and felt that strict licensing might very well be the way to go.

"We'd certainly like to but understand that it isn't possible to ban every last item of cutlery in the city," an anonymous aide told the Daily News, "but everyone is in agreement that unless you've been to a culinary school and have the degree to prove it there isn't a reason to be owning something sharp enough to slice flesh."