Hearing Delayed for Shabazz’s Grandson

Betty Shabazz’s daughter and troubled 12-year-old grandson were reunited in an emotional Family Court proceeding here as doctors prepared to perform delicate surgery that they characterized as an “absolute necessity” to save Shabazz’s life. Judge Howard Spitz postponed until Friday a preliminary hearing on a charge of juvenile delinquency against Malcolm, the grandson of slain black leader Malcolm X, for allegedly setting a gasoline-stoked fire in the apartment of his grandmother. Surgeons hope to begin removing Shabazz’s burned tissue and replacing it with artificial skin if her vital signs remain stable.