Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Defendant Who Allegedly Targeted Older Women in Midwood
Indicted For Robbery as a Hate Crime and Other Charges

Faces Up To 25 Years in Prison on Top Count

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 27-year-old man has been named in a 20-count indictment in which he is charged with second-degree robbery as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly robbing three Russian women in their 60s, who were allegedly targeted because of their age.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly targeted older women to rob because he believed they were easy marks. Cowardly attacks such as these will not be tolerated in Brooklyn. We will work vigorously to prosecute all crimes based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity. ”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Akmaljon Abakulov, 27, of Midwood. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on a 20-count indictment in which he is variously charged with second-degree robbery as a hate crime, second-degree robbery, third-degree robbery as a hate crime, third-degree robbery, fourth-degree grand larceny as a hate crime, fourth-degree grand larceny, third-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault, petit larceny as a hate crime and petit larceny. He was ordered held on $125,000 bail and to return to court on January 25, 2017.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on October 12, 2016, at approximately 4 p.m., a 64 year-old woman withdrew $700 from a bank ATM on Kings Highway, put the money in a white envelope and put it in her purse. Shortly thereafter, the defendant allegedly approached the woman from behind, pushed her against a parked van and began rummaging through her purse. He allegedly took the envelope, pushed the woman and fled.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on October 24, 2016, at about 4:45 p.m., a 61-year-old woman noticed the defendant in the vicinity of East 16th Street and Avenue P. She then walked to East 14th Street, between Avenues O and P, at which point she felt someone tugging on her purse from behind. She turned around and saw the defendant’s face, then struggled with the defendant. He allegedly pushed her to the ground and fled with the purse, causing physical injury.

Finally, on November 1, 2016, a 61-year-old woman who was shopping at T.J. Maxx, on East 15th Street, placed her handbag in a shopping cart, and put her coat over the handbag. She stepped away momentarily. When she returned to the cart, she noticed her wallet was missing and called 911. The arresting officer recovered video from the store that captured the theft. The defendant was arrested the next day when the store manager called police to alert them that the defendant was in the store.

The investigation revealed that the defendant selected older women because he perceived them to be vulnerable to attack.

The case was investigated by Detective Drew Schlessinger and Detective Sherwin Ifill of the 61st Precinct Detective Squad and Detective Winston Courtney of the 70th Precinct Detective Squad.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Prabhalya Pulim, of the District Attorney’s Civil Rights Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kelli M. Muse, Deputy Bureau Chief.

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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 21, 2016

Seventeen-Year-Old Sentenced to 21 Years to Life in Prison
For Fatal Shooting of Teen Near East New York High School

Defendant Shot the Victim Twice in the Head in Broad Daylight

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a teenager from East New York has been sentenced to 21 years to life in prison for fatally shooting an 18-year-old in the head near a high school in East New York, where the victim had gone to meet his younger sister.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant took the life of another teenager and with today’s sentence he has been held responsible for his callous actions.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Malik Streat, 17, of East New York, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today to 21 years to life in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Alexander B. Jeong. The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial last month.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on January 13, 2016, at approximately 2:45 p.m., in the vicinity of Livonia Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, in East New York, the defendant shot Darnell Wilkerson, 18, in the head. After the victim fell to the ground the defendant shot him in the head a second time and then fled. The shooting took place near the former Thomas Jefferson High School. The victim, a recent graduate of the school, was there to meet his 16-year-old sister.

The defendant was apprehended a few blocks away and found with a .38 caliber pistol in his pocket. Surveillance footage from surrounding buildings captured the incident.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sara Kurtzberg, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Joseph Mancino, of the District Attorney’s School Advocacy Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief of the Homicide Bureau.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 17, 2016

Man Charged in 2004 Cold Case Murder
Of 17-Year-Old Bushwick Girl

Identified through DNA Found on Victim’s Fingernails;
Body Discovered in Two Laundry Bags Strewn in Alleyway

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 38-year-old man has been indicted for the murder of a teenager from Bushwick in 2004. A DNA analysis of the victim’s fingernails, requested this summer by the New York City Police Department’s Cold Case Squad and the District Attorney’s Forensic Science Unit, was a match to the defendant.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Sharabia bravely fought for her life when she was attacked and the evidence that helped to find her alleged killer was discovered under her fingernails. It is my hope that solving this terrible crime will offer a small measure of comfort to Sharabia’s family, who suffered such an unspeakable loss. I am determined to continue the important work of our Forensic Science Unit to ensure that even if justice is delayed, it is not denied.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Kwauhuru Govan, 38, formerly of Gates Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Miriam Cyrulnik on one count of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree kidnapping and ordered held without bail. The defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, the naked body of Sharabia Thomas, 17, was discovered on the afternoon of February 11, 2004 inside two laundry bags on the side of an alleyway adjacent to 130 Palmetto Street in Bushwick. The victim suffered blunt force trauma to her head, face and torso and had visible ligature marks on her wrists and ankles. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxia by neck compression. There was no evidence of a sexual assault.

The investigation determined that Sharabia did not go to school that day and was last seen alive earlier that morning when her siblings left for school. DNA testing in 2004, using swabs from the sexual assault evidence kit, yielded no results.

In June 2016, the NYPD’s Cold Case Squad and the District Attorney’s Forensic Science Unit requested that fingernail clippings taken from the victim at the time of the autopsy be located and tested for DNA. A full male profile was developed and uploaded to the National DNA database which is maintained by the FBI. It matched the defendant, whose DNA was entered into the database following a 2014 arrest for an armed robbery in Polk County, Florida, according to the investigation.

Upon his release from a Florida prison, where he was incarcerated for the robbery, the defendant was ordered held on a fugitive warrant related to the present murder indictment on November 14, 2016 and was subsequently extradited to Brooklyn. In a statement, the defendant, who resided about two blocks from the Sharabia’s home in 2004, denied knowing the victim.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detectives Evelin Guiterrez and Jason Palamara of the NYPD Cold Case Squad, under the supervision of Lieutenant David Nilsen of the NYPD Cold Case Squad.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Rachel Singer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Forensic Science Unit, with the assistance of Assistant district Attorney Danielle Reddan of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau III, Gray Zone.

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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 17, 2016

Killer of Florida Businessman Set to Marry
Defendant’s Former Lover Sentenced to 25 Years to Life

Sent Phony Text Messages from the Victim’s Cell Phone and Dumped Body in
Desolate Wooded Area in an Effort to Cover up his Crime

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brighton Beach man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of the new boyfriend of his ex-common law wife in 2012. The defendant stabbed, suffocated and strangled the victim, then went to great lengths in a failed attempt to cover his tracks, including sending deceptive text messages from the victim’s phone.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This calculated killer relinquished his right to be part of our society when he senselessly killed a man, dumped his body and tried to deceive his worried loved ones. He thought he could get away with this crime, but has now been sentenced to many years in prison.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Mikhail Chernyaev, 49, of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog to 25 years to life in prison following his conviction on September 29, 2016 on charges of second-degree murder following a jury trial.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, the victim, Charles Butler, 56, was a successful businessman from Florida who, in 2012, traveled frequently to his native New York City to spend time with his daughter, who lived on the Upper East Side at the time. He met Anna Lioznov on one of those trips. They started dating and eventually made plans to get married. Lioznov previously had a romantic relationship with the defendant and the two were raising a son together.

On September 18, 2012, Butler made his first visit to his girlfriend’s apartment at 2919 Brighton 8th Street. Surveillance cameras captured Lioznov leaving her home at about 7:40 a.m., the next morning, and the defendant’s Chevrolet Astro van pulling into her building’s garage four minutes later. The vehicle was seen leaving the garage an hour and a half after that and cell tower data tracked both Chernyaev’s and Butler’s phones to Port Jervis, NY before the signals returned to Brooklyn.

Also on September 19, 2012, the victim’s daughters received suspicious text messages in broken English from their father’s phone and Lioznov received a text message, purportedly from Butler, that said in sum and substance, “Forget about me. I’m going back to Florida.”

The evidence further showed that on October 15, 2012, a fisherman who got lost in Hawk’s Nest, a remote area outside Port Jervis, NY, discovered decomposed human remains. Using a sketch constructed from the skeleton, a single useable fingertip print and DNA analysis, the body was positively identified as Butler in May 2013. The defendant, who was back together with Lioznov by then, was taken for questioning on May 22, 2013 and, after first giving a false alibi, said the death was caused by an accidental fall and later conceded to killing the victim, but claimed it was in self-defense.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Melissa Carvajal of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Hit-and-Run Driver Indicted for Recklessly
Killing Cyclist in Williamsburg

Driver Swerved Into Designated Bike Lane

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 56-year-old man has been indicted on charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related counts stemming from the July 2016 hit-and-run death of 35-year-old Queens cyclist and advocate Matthew von Ohlen.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “A young man who was an active member of Brooklyn’s biking community lost his life because a speeding driver struck him in a designated bike lane and sped away. This was not an accident, but rather a reckless act for which we intend to hold this defendant accountable.”

Paul Steely White, Transportation Alternatives Executive Director said, “After waiting several months since Matthew von Ohlen was struck and killed in a heinous hit-and-run, we are relieved to see that the case is proceeding to the next step with this indictment. It is also a positive sign that the District Attorney’s office is addressing the role of speeding, which remains the leading cause of traffic deaths across the five boroughs two years after the City adopted a safer 25 mph speed limit. The driver’s deadly violation of Matthew von Ohlen’s right of way in a designated bike lane is also indicative of a problem that is all too common and can no longer be tolerated.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Juan Maldonado, 56, of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Foley on an eight-count indictment in which he is charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. If convicted of the top count, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Bail was set at $100,000.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on July 2, 2016, at approximately 2:37 a.m., the defendant was behind the wheel of a black Chevy Camaro and allegedly driving at a high rate of speed in the vicinity of Grand Street and Manhattan Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The defendant, it is alleged, swerved into a designated bike lane on Grand Street where the victim was riding his bike, sped through a red light at an intersection and then struck the victim. According to the investigation, the defendant hit the victim’s bicycle from behind causing the victim to fall. The defendant continued driving, running over the victim and dragging him approximately 10 to 20 feet as he sped away. Part of the incident was captured on surveillance video.

The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Detective Edward Behringer of the Collision Investigation Squad, under the supervision of Squad Supervisor Sergeant Alessio Bono of the Collision Investigation Squad, and the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Brian Reynolds Commanding of the Collision Investigation Squad.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Douglas Marquez of the District Attorney’s Trial Bureau III, Grey Zone, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Nocella, Deputy Bureau Chief, Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough, Chief, and Assistant District Attorney Craig Esswein, Deputy Unit Chief of the District Attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Unit.

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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 14, 2016

Bedford-Stuyvesant Woman Sentenced to 18 Years to Life for
2007 Bay Ridge Hotel Murder

Victim Stabbed in Face, Neck

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Bedford-Stuyvesant woman was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for fatally stabbing a man inside a room at the Best Western-Gregory Hotel in Bay Ridge.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant suddenly attacked and robbed her intimate partner, killing him. She has now been held responsible for taking a life.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Pamela Hanson, 29, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. She was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog to 18 years to life in prison. The defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last month.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on December 2, 2007, at approximately 3:03 p.m., the defendant and the victim, David Diaz, 27, who were acquaintances, checked into a room at the Best Western-Gregory Hotel in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. According to the defendant’s own statements, after engaging in consensual intercourse with the victim, the defendant removed a knife she had previously hidden under a pillow and proceeded to repeatedly stab the victim about the face, neck and torso.

The defendant confessed to taking the victim’s bank card and cellphone. The investigation revealed that the defendant attempted to use the victim’s bank card to purchase shoes at Yvette’s Boutique in Downtown Brooklyn, but that attempt was denied. She disposed of both the cellphone and bank card.

The defendant was previously convicted of second-degree murder following a jury trial in 2009 and was granted a retrial in 2015 and subsequently pleaded guilty.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Melissa Carvajal, Deputy Bureau Chief of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 10, 2016

Sheepshead Bay Man Convicted of Trying to
Kidnap 9-Year-Old Girl who was Playing in her Front Yard

Defendant Exposed Himself and Tried to Grab the Girl;
Victim Rescued by her Father, who Heard Screams

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 39-year-old man has been convicted of attempted kidnapping and other charges for trying to abduct a 9-year-old girl, who was playing in the front yard of her Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn home.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “It is disturbing that this defendant attempted to kidnap a little girl who was playing outside her home in broad daylight. She was lucky to be saved by her quick-thinking father and we will now see that the predator who attacked her is held accountable.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Robert Drach, 39, of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. He was convicted yesterday of second-degree attempted kidnapping, public lewdness, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal trespass after a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Guy Mangano. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 29, 2016.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on June 11, 2015, at approximately 7 a.m., the 9-year-old victim was playing in the front yard of her home, located on Ford Street in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. The defendant entered through the front gate and tried to drag her out. The victim struggled and screamed while observing the defendant’s exposed genitalia. Her father heard the screams, ran out and restrained the defendant until police arrived.

According to the evidence, the defendant stated, that he was walking to a friend’s home when he saw a girl he liked, that she told him she was 18 and that she invited him to her house, saying her father wasn’t home. He also admitted to grabbing the victim and to exposing himself.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Ebonie Legrand and Alana Tierney, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Miss Gregory, Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Defendant Who Targeted Chinese Women Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison
Following Guilty Plea to Robbery as a Hate Crime

Admitted Targeting Chinese Women Because He Could Overpower Them

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 21-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree robbery as a hate crime for robbing five Chinese women and attempting to rob a sixth woman in separate incidents in Borough Park. The defendant admitted targeting them because of their race.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s sentence shows that hate crimes such as these, which are based on a person’s race, gender, sexual identity or ethnicity, will not be tolerated in Brooklyn. The defendant specifically targeted Chinese women walking alone because he thought he could overpower them and escape prosecution. He’s now been held accountable.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Manuel Israel, 21, of Manhattan. He was sentenced yesterday to a determinate term of 12 years in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. The defendant pleaded guilty last month to one count of second-degree robbery as a hate crime.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on April 6, 2015, at approximately 12:20 a.m., in the vicinity of 55th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway, a 23-year-old woman of Chinese descent was walking alone when the defendant approached her from behind and repeatedly pulled on her purse, causing her to fall to the ground. He then stood over her and stated: “Give me all of your money.”

The Acting District Attorney added that, according to the investigation, a bystander happened upon the attempted robbery and saw the defendant with his arm around the victim’s neck in an apparent struggle and called 911. Police immediately responded to the scene and apprehended Israel about 20 minutes later approximately six blocks from the scene.

The defendant admitted that he committed five additional robberies of women of Chinese descent, ages 21 to 43, between March 21st and April 4, 2015, all in the vicinity of Fort Hamilton Parkway between 55th and 71st Streets, and was subsequently charged with those crimes. In each of the incidents, the defendant approached the victims from behind and pulled on their handbags, causing them to fall to the ground. He then grabbed the victims’ handbags and fled. Three of the victims suffered injuries, including lacerations, bruising and pain. The investigation revealed that Israel selected women of Chinese descent because he perceived them to be vulnerable to attack.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Prabhalya Pulim, of the District Attorney’s Civil Rights Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kelli M. Muse, Deputy Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney William E. Schaeffer, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division, and Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 7, 2016

Brighton Beach Man Sentenced to 23 Years to Life for
Fatal Stabbing of Brooklyn Man

Victim Attempted to Flee; Incident Caught on Surveillance Video

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 26-year-old Brooklyn man was sentenced to 23 years to life in prison for stabbing a man in the chest following an argument in Brighton Beach.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Rather than walk away from a fight, this defendant instead chased after the victim and fatally stabbed him in the chest. He will now spend many years behind bars as a consequence of his actions.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Jonathan Mansilla, 26, of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent DelGuidice to 23 years to life in prison. He was convicted of second-degree murder following a jury trial last month.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on June 27, 2014, at approximately 2:20 a.m., the defendant engaged the victim, Alberto Munive-Torres, 27, in a physical altercation at the intersection of Brighton 5th Street and Brighton Beach Avenue. The victim then rode away on his bicycle in an effort to remove himself from the defendant. The defendant chased the victim on foot and retrieved a knife from his waistband before reaching around the victim, from behind, and stabbing him once in the chest.

The victim eventually collapsed, falling from his bicycle to the ground. The defendant then proceeded to kick the victim repeatedly about the head and face. Surveillance footage from surrounding buildings captured the incident.

The defendant was apprehended a few blocks away approximately 20 minutes later and found with blood stains on his shirt. The blood on the defendant’s shirt was later determined to be Munive-Torres’, according to trial testimony. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York determined the victim’s cause of death to be a single stab wound to the right chest.

The case was investigated by Detective Mitchell Eisenberg of the New York City Police Department’s 60th Precinct and Detective James McCafferty of the Brooklyn South Homicide Squad.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Olatokunbo Olaniyan of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Akosua Goode of the District Attorney’s School Advocacy Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Seventeen-Year-Old Convicted of Murder in Shooting of Teen
Near East New York High School in Broad Daylight

Defendant Shot the Victim Twice in the Head; Faces Up to 25 Years to Life in Prison

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a teenager from East New York has been convicted of murder for fatally shooting an 18-year-old teenager in the head near a high school in East New York, where the victim had gone to meet his younger sister.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This senseless act of gun violence has now destroyed two families: the life of a promising young man was cut short and his young killer will spend more than half his life – if not the rest of his life – behind bars.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Malik Streat, 17, of East New York, Brooklyn. He was convicted today of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Alexander B. Jeong. He will be sentenced on November 21, 2016, at which time he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on January 13, 2016, at approximately 2:45 p.m., in the vicinity of Livonia Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, in East New York, the defendant shot Darnell Wilkerson, 18, in the head. After the victim fell to the ground the defendant shot him in the head a second time and then fled. The shooting took place near the former Thomas Jefferson High School. The victim, a recent graduate of the school, was there to meet his 16-year-old sister.

The defendant was apprehended a few blocks away and found with a .38 caliber pistol in his pocket. Surveillance footage from surrounding buildings captured the incident.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sara Kurtzberg, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Joseph Mancino, of the District Attorney’s School Advocacy Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Colleen Babb, Chief of the School Advocacy Bureau.

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