Third teenager charged with allegedly orchestrating mistaken fatal stabbing of Luke Manassa in Sydney's west
Police believe Luke Manassa was likely mistaken for his identity after he was ambushed and stabbed to death.
Two men dressed in dark clothing and disguises approached the 21-year-old when he had just arrived home with his girlfriend on Driftway Drive, Pemulwuy, at 10.45pm on June 26.
Mr Manassa was stabbed as he managed to flee the scene in his vehicle, before being overcome by his injuries.
Paramedics treated him but he could not be revived and died at the scene.
About 7am on Wednesday, police arrested a third teenager after executing a search warrant in Blacktown.
'A 17-year-old male was arrested at the scene and taken to Blacktown Police Station, where he was charged with manslaughter, knowingly/recklessly direct criminal group assist crime and fail to comply digital evidence access order direction,' a NSW Police spokesperson said.
He was refused bail and appeared at a children's court on the same day.
Police allege the teen issued the contract to carry out the attack on another man, but Mr Manassa was targeted in a case of mistaken identity.
Two teenagers, 17 and 18, have previously been charged in June with murder and remain before the courts.
On the night of the stabbing close associates of Mr Manassa had been looking after the property of Anthony Khalil, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Khalil was arrested in June after allegedly abducting a Queensland man, 27, over a $2.4 million debt invested in a gambling investment company.
Queensland Police allege Khalil was one of seven men involved in the kidnapping and were linked to the notorious crime network of the Alameddine family.
It's understood Khalil was not at the Pemulwuy property on the night of the stabbing.
Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said police did not believe Mr Manassa's murder was linked to the current gang war.
'This is a very amateurish offence, I'd call it disorganised crime,' he said.
'It does not have the hallmarks of other organised crime murders where they use multiple high performance stolen vehicles, cloned number plates, semiautomatic firearms- it doesn't have any of those traits.'
Investigations under Strike Force Hickety continue.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Manassa graduated from UTS in property economics and worked full-time as a project manager at his family's demolition business Mann Group.
He was laid to rest at Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral in Harris Park on July 9.
Hundreds of mourners attended the service as twenty-one white doves were released at the end of the funeral to commemorate Mr Manassa's 21 years of life.
An emotional haka was led by his Polynesian colleagues at Mann Group.
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