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Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Bronx Man Sentenced to 18 Years to Life in Prison for Shooting Romantic Rival inside Ex-Girlfriend’s Home in Dyker Heights

Fired 16 Times Through Bedroom Door, Striking Victim Once in Head During Home Invasion

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a romantic rival inside his ex-girlfriend’s home in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. After breaking into the home, the defendant fired 16 times through a bedroom door, striking the victim once in the head, killing him.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant broke into a family’s home in the middle of the night, murdered an innocent man in cold blood and terrorized a mother and her young daughter at gun point. With today’s sentence, he has now been held accountable for his horrifying actions.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Adam Thomas, 33, of the Bronx. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Warin to 18 years to life in prison. The defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on January 9, 2024.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on December 18, 2021, at approximately 12:16 a.m., the defendant broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home on 83rd Street in Dyker Heights. After climbing in a front window, the defendant, who was wearing a black ski-mask, encountered Justin Moncada, 30, in the hallway. Moncada saw the defendant and ran into a bedroom. The two men fought in the doorway, with Moncada shutting the door behind him. The defendant then fired 16 times through the door with a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun. One of the shots struck Moncada in the head, killing him.

Furthermore, according to the evidence, the defendant then exited through the window while his ex-girlfriend called police. While the woman was on the phone, the defendant returned and pointed the gun at her and a six-year-old daughter she shared with Moncada. He then demanded she turn over her cellphone and purse while screaming, “You chose him! You made me do this!” Police arrived and arrested the defendant as he attempted to climb back out of the window.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mark Pagliuco, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau, and Senior District Attorney Jessica Soares, also of the Domestic Violence Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kori Medow, Bureau Chief.

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Teacher Arraigned on Indictment Charging Him

With Sexual Abuse of Two Students 

Abuse Allegedly Occurred in Classroom at Intermediate School 218

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 59-year-old math teacher at I.S. 218, located at 370 Fountain Avenue, has been arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with sexually abusing two students.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The conduct alleged in this indictment marks an incredible betrayal of trust by an educator, and we have no tolerance for this kind of abuse. Our schools must be safe havens for teaching and learning, and we will vigorously seek accountability for this defendant’s allegedly reprehensible actions.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Gary Simon, 59, of Flushing, Queens. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Rhonda Tomlinson on an indictment in which he is charged with first- and second-degree sexual abuse, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child. The defendant was ordered to return to court on April 7, 2024. Bail was continued at $15,000 cash or $30,000 bond.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, between November 15, 2023 and December 15, 2023, a 13-year-old girl was in the defendant’s classroom finishing an assignment when the defendant allegedly wrote “you suck” on a paper she had handed him. When the student asked the defendant why he wrote that he allegedly grabbed her and touched her breasts with his hands.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, on December 7, 2023, a 12-year-old girl was in the defendant’s classroom taking a test when the defendant allegedly hugged the girl and touched her breasts with his hands. The victim told the defendant she was going to report him, according to the investigation, and he allegedly laughed and said, “make sure you spell my name right.”

The first victim reported the alleged abuse to her counselor and the second victim reported the alleged abuse to her gym teacher. The allegations were relayed to the school principal and police were notified. The defendant was arrested on December 28, 2023, following an investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Tatiana Benjamin, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Bureau Chief.

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An indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of a defendant’s guilt   

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Thursday, February 8, 2024

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 9 ½ Years in Prison

Following Guilty Plea in Connection with Brownsville Shooting

Defendant Opened Fire in Broad Daylight and Struck Police Officer’s Vehicle, Causing Injury

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced today that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for opening fire in Brownsville and striking a marked police car that was on patrol in the vicinity. A detective was injured by broken glass when a bullet shattered the driver’s side window. Two fired bullets were recovered inside the vehicle.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Thankfully, this NYPD detective was spared more serious injuries when this defendant fired a barrage of approximately nine rounds in broad daylight. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his actions and will help to make the streets of Brooklyn safer.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jah-Mike Woolridge, 28, of Brownsville, Brooklyn. The defendant was sentenced yesterday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Miriam Cyrulnik to nine and a half years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision. The defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted assault on January 10, 2024.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on June 23, 2022, at approximately 4:30 p.m., in the vicinity of Legion Street and Pitkin Avenue, following an earlier argument with a 23-year-old man, the defendant fired at a car that the man was driving which was stopped at a red light. The defendant fired multiple shots at the man’s car and into the intersection of Legion Street and Pitkin Avenue.

The victim’s car was struck multiple times and two rounds were recovered from inside his vehicle. The victim was not injured.

Furthermore, New York City Police Detective Sunjay Verma was driving west on Pitkin when he and his partner saw the defendant holding a black semi-automatic pistol and firing at the other vehicle. Detective Verma’s driver’s side window was hit by a bullet and shattered. The detective, who suffered injuries to his arm from the shattered glass, chased after the defendant, who fled into the nearby Brooklyn Gardens Housing Development, where a loaded black pistol was later recovered. Two rounds were recovered from inside the police car.

The defendant fled the scene. He was apprehended in Maryland by the Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Marshals in November 2022 and returned to New York.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Barg, of the District Attorney’s Orange Zone Trial Bureau, with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Michael Trabulsi and Assistant District Attorney Iris Das, Deputy Chiefs of the Orange Zone, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Danielle Eaddy, Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Illegal Cannabis Shop Employee Indicted for Felony Assault for

Allegedly Injuring Investigator Who Came to Shut Down the Store

Defendant Allegedly Pushed Victim Out and Closed Door on his Arm

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been indicted for felony assault and other charges for allegedly assaulting a Finance Supervising Investigator, working for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, who came to shut down the illegal cannabis store where the defendant worked.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant didn’t just defy the law by working in a shop that sold unlicensed cannabis products, but also allegedly violently attacked an investigator as he tried to lawfully shut down the illegal business. In Brooklyn, we have no tolerance for attacks on law enforcement personnel and will now seek to hold the defendant fully accountable.”

John Harford, Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, said, “Tax Department Criminal Investigators are engaged in vital work. Anyone who assaults them or otherwise interferes with their law enforcement duties should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. On behalf of the CID team and the entire Department, I want to thank Brooklyn DA Gonzalez and his office for their efforts in this case.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Arjante Moss, 27, of Downtown Brooklyn. He was arraigned yesterday before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment charging him with second-degree assault, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and second-degree harassment. The defendant is facing a maximum sentence of seven years in prison if convicted of the top count. He remained out on bail and was ordered to return to court on March 20, 2024.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, the defendant was an employee at Big Chief Exotics Smoke Shop, located at 7323 Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. On December 18, 2023, at approximately 12:40 p.m., a Finance Supervising Investigator from NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, came to shut down the store pursuant to a closure order obtained in Supreme Court by the Attorney General’s Office.

When the defendant realized the visitor was a law enforcement agent, he allegedly pushed him out and closed the door on his arm. The victim managed to extricate his arm from the doorframe, sustaining bruising to the left arm. He was treated at New York University Langone Hospital and released.

Agents proceeded to permanently close down the store, which has been the subject of two previous inspections by the Office of Cannabis Management, during which unlicensed marijuana products were seized and notices of violation and orders to cease unlicensed activity were issued.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Joel Greenwald of the District Attorney’s Asset Forfeiture and Crimes Against Revenue Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Diana Villanueva, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Chief of the District Attorney’s Investigations Division.

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

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Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison

for Flatlands Shooting That Killed Gang Rival Sitting in Car with Girlfriend

At least Nine Shots from Large Caliber Handguns were Fired into Vehicle

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for a shooting that left a 21-year-old man dead. The defendant and his accomplice opened fire into a car parked in Flatlands where the victim was sitting with his girlfriend. The victim managed to push his girlfriend out of the car before collapsing, shielding her from the gunfire.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Anthony Francis was a beloved son, brother, nephew and cousin who was just 21 years old when he was shot and killed in a senseless act of gang violence. The lengthy sentences resulting from his murder underscore my commitment to protecting our communities from dangerous gang rivalries that harm too many young people.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Tarell Herbert, 30, of Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Heidi Cesare to 25 years to life in prison. The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on November 8, 2023, following a jury trial. His co-defendant, Tristan Murray, 31, of Brooklyn, was sentenced by Justice Cesare to 35 years to life in prison last June. Murray was convicted of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on May 19, 2023, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on September 2, 2016, just after 7 p.m., Anthony Francis, 21, was wrapping up a visit with his girlfriend in Flatlands, Brooklyn, when they entered his BMW, which was parked on the street. Francis and his girlfriend were seated in the vehicle when the defendant and Murray drove up to the BMW at approximately 7:26 p.m. and opened fire at point-blank range from their passenger side window into the BMW.

The defendants were affiliated with the Folk Nation gang in Flatbush and were looking for rival gang members to shoot at the time of the incident, according to trial testimony. They spotted the victim, a member of the rival Woo gang, based in Canarsie, and one of the defendants yelled “Woo,” which is a way that Woo members greet each other, according to trial testimony. The defendants then opened fire. The victim, who was struck in the chest, pushed his girlfriend out of the car just before he died. Multiple .40 caliber and .45 caliber shell casings were found at the scene and Francis’ BMW was riddled with .40 and .45 caliber bullets.

The case was investigated by NYPD Detective Steven Yatchenya and the NYPD Brooklyn South Homicide Task Force, as well as a Detective Investigator assigned to the District Attorney’s Special Investigations Unit.

The District Attorney thanked the Detective Investigators of the Special Investigations Unit, as well as analysts assigned to the DA’s Digital Evidence Lab, for their work on the case. The District Attorney additionally thanked Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau Paralegals Diane Fields-Vernon and Tania Lopez for their assistance.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Ford and Senior Assistant District Attorney Michelle Kiley, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Alfred De Ingeniis, Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Park Slope Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

For Repeatedly Sexually Assaulting Young Girl

Child was Abused by Defendant During Piano Lessons and Other Occasions

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man who sexually abused a child repeatedly for almost two years has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant exploited his position of trust to prey on a young child, which is an unconscionable betrayal. After starting a friendship with this family, he sexually abused the child beginning when she was just 9 years old. I hope today’s sentence brings some closure to the victim and her family and I remain steadfast in my commitment to protecting our children.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as John Stewart Russell, 62, of Park Slope, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht to seven years in prison and 10 years’ post-release supervision. The defendant was convicted on January 11, 2024 of second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and endangering the welfare of a child, following a bench trial. He must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, the defendant started a friendship with the victim’s family in the summer of 2016. During that period, he began a pattern of grooming that preceded the sexual abuse to which he subjected the child. In November 2016, the defendant began giving the child piano lessons and started abusing her when he was alone with her.

Furthermore, according to the evidence, from November 2016 to June 2018, when she was 9 to 11 years old, the defendant regularly subjected the victim to sexual contact including groping her and subjecting her to various sexual acts. The sexual abuse continued after the piano lessons ended.

The defendant was arrested on July 30, 2020, after the victim disclosed the abuse to her parents.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Newcombe, Senior Assistant District Attorney Gabriela Sinisi, and Paralegal Supervisor Jennifer Hernandez, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Stuyvesant Heights Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Shooting

NYPD Officer Responding to Domestic Violence Call

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to Attempted Murder in September

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Stuyvesant Heights man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting a New York City Police Officer who was responding to a domestic violence call. The officer was wearing a bulletproof vest that stopped the bullet.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “It’s a miracle Officer Boalick wasn’t more seriously injured or killed when he was shot by this defendant while answering a domestic violence call. Today’s lengthy prison sentence holds the defendant accountable for his violent actions while underscoring the dangers our police officers face every day to keep us all safe.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as William Moss, 23, of Stuyvesant Heights, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 20 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision. The defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder on September 7, 2023.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, throughout the afternoon and evening of December 24, 2020, the defendant and his girlfriend were engaged in an argument on the phone. At one point, the defendant threatened to come over to the young woman’s home on Bergen Street in Crown Heights and shoot at the window. As a result of this threat, the young woman’s mother called police.

At approximately 9:05 p.m., according to the evidence, six uniformed officers from the 77^th Precinct arrived at the address. While they were interviewing the young woman outside of the building, the defendant showed up and fired two shots at her. The first shot missed. The second shot struck one of the officers, Connor Boalick, then 27, in the back. The bullet lodged in a bulletproof vest that the officer was wearing.

Immediately after the shooting, the defendant fled on foot with two of the officers chasing after him. The officers shot at the defendant, missing him. Police apprehended the defendant two blocks away and located his 9-millimeter pistol where he had tossed it.

Police Officer Boalick was taken to Kings County Hospital where he was treated for bruising and abrasions to his back and released.

The District Attorney thanked Office Manager Jannette Ayala of the Homicide Bureau and Alexandra Aber, Chief Analyst of the Digital Evidence Lab, for their assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Chow Yun Xie, Deputy Chief of District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Salvador Reynozo, of the District Attorney’s Orange Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Danielle Eaddy, Chief of the Orange Zone Trial Bureau.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Brooklyn District Attorney Moves to Vacate Conviction of

Man who served 14 Years for Homicide Committed by Someone Else

Jury Didn’t Hear Evidence that Supported Defense’s Theory of

Different Gunman, Who Was Never Investigated; Defendant Paroled in 2010

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that following a thorough reinvestigation by his Conviction Review Unit (CRU), he will move to vacate the conviction of Steven Ruffin, 45, who was 18 when convicted of the 1996 killing of a 16-year-old in a case of mistaken identity. The reinvestigation concluded that his defense lawyer failed to present evidence to bolster his claim that another person was the actual killer and that police and prosecutors failed to investigate that potential suspect. The defendant served 14 years in prison before he was released on parole in 2010. The full CRU report is available here.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “After a full investigation by my Conviction Review Unit, we can no longer stand by this old conviction and will move to give Mr. Ruffin his good name back. A confluence of factors, including errors by defense counsel and tunnel vision by law enforcement, produced a tragic result in this case – Mr. Ruffin was convicted for the actions of a different person whom he claimed to be the killer all along. We will continue to correct miscarriages of justice and to learn from the mistakes we uncover to ensure that they never happen again.”

The defendant will appear in court today at 2:30 p.m. before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew D’Emic at 320 Jay Street, 15th Floor.

The District Attorney said that on February 5, 1996, at about 9:10 p.m., 16-year-old James Deligny was shot and killed in Crown Heights after he was mistaken to be the person who had just robbed the defendant’s sister of her earrings. According to credible testimony, the victim was approached by a group of young men, one stated, “It’s not him,” when the victim reached into his coat pocket as if he had a gun – and was then fatally shot.

The defendant was convicted based in part on the testimony of the victim’s sister, who described the shooter as a man with a cracked tooth. He was also interrogated by now-retired Detective Louis Scarcella and twice denied being involved in the shooting. The defendant’s estranged father, who was a police officer, was then called to the precinct and convinced the defendant to confess, which he did in his third statement.

At trial, the defense argued that the boyfriend of the defendant’s sister and the person who gave the murder weapon to the detective was the real culprit. The defendant, his sister and two eyewitnesses testified that the defendant was with his sister down the block at the time of the shooting and it was the boyfriend who committed the murder. The defense also called the boyfriend to the stand, where he repeatedly took the fifth. The jury acquitted the defendant of murder but convicted him of first-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison and the sentence was reduced on appeal to 12½ to 25 years.

In reinvestigating the case, CRU reviewed the case files and conducted interviews with most of the witnesses and others involved in the case. It concluded that serious errors by the defense attorney compromised the defendant’s right to a fair trial. Specifically: he failed to have the boyfriend display to the jury that he had a cracked tooth, just like the defendant; failed to bring up the fact that the sole witness never viewed an identification procedure where the boyfriend was the subject; and failed to question witnesses about the fact that the boyfriend confessed to multiple people and even went at some point to get a Legal Aid lawyer with the intention of turning himself in (which he ultimately did not do).

CRU also concluded that the identification of the defendant and his confession were unreliable and that his alibi was plausible. It found that the police and prosecution investigation was inadequate, likely due to tunnel vision and confirmation bias, in that it failed to investigate the boyfriend, who possessed the murder weapon, had a cracked tooth like the defendant as well as a similar motive – to avenge his girlfriend’s robbery. Accordingly, CRU recommended to vacate the conviction and dismiss the underlying indictment.

To date, the work of the Conviction Review Unit has resulted in 37 convictions being vacated since 2014. Currently, CRU has approximately 40 open investigations.

This case was investigated by Assistant District Attorney Bruce Alderman, formerly of the District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit, with assistance from Lori Glachman, CRU Editor-in-Chief, under the supervision of Charles Linehan, Unit Chief

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Brooklyn Man Arraigned on Attempted Murder and Other Charges for

Allegedly Stabbing Two Men in Homeless Shelter and Another in Subway

The Victims Were Asleep When the Defendant Allegedly Attacked Them

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with attempted murder, assault and other charges in connection with a series of stabbings that left three innocent men seriously injured.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly engaged in a horrific spree of violence, brutally stabbing three innocent and vulnerable people as they slept. We have no tolerance for this kind of random violence in Brooklyn and will now seek to bring the defendant to justice.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Abraham Kentish, 27, formerly of the SUS Shelter in East New York, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew Sciarrino on an indictment in which he is charged with three counts of second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, and related charges. The defendant is being held without bail and was ordered to return to court on March 7, 2024.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on November 12, 2023, at approximately 1:30 a.m., at the SUS Shelter, a homeless shelter, located at 1000 Blake Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn, the defendant allegedly went into the room of a 70-year-old client who was sleeping and stabbed him 15 times in the torso and about the body. The defendant allegedly then went into the room of a 38-year-old client who was also sleeping and stabbed him twice in the face and once in the elbow. The defendant then left the shelter and a security guard, who was told about the stabbings, called 911.

Furthermore, it is alleged, later that morning, between 1:55 a.m. and 2:55 a.m., the defendant entered the New Lots Avenue subway station, boarded a number 4 subway car, and walked up to a 32-year-old man who was sleeping and stabbed him once in the neck.

All three victims were taken to Brookdale Hospital where they were treated for stab wounds.

The defendant was arrested later that morning by two New York City Police Officers who saw that he matched the description of an individual being sought for the attacks.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ainissa Proctor and Assistant District Attorney Ashlica Malcolm of the District Attorney’s Red Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Karla Watson, Bureau Chief.

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An indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, January 8, 2024

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison for

Execution Murder of One Man and Shooting and Injuring a Second Man

Defendant Opened Fire Inside of Crowded Deli

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally shooting one man and shooting and wounding a second man inside of a crowded deli in East New York, Brooklyn.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The defendant showed a complete indifference to human life when he callously opened fire inside of a crowded deli, repeatedly shooting and killing one man, a soon-to-be father, and shooting and severely wounding a second man. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his actions.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Marcus Worrell, 28, of East New York, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo to 25 years to life in prison. The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on November 9, 2023, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on June 5, 2020, at approximately 8:20 p.m., the defendant entered a deli located at 620 Livonia Avenue and shot Evon Hillman, 28, and continued firing at him even after the victim fell to the ground. Hillman died instantly, according to testimony. A second man, age 40, who was standing next to the victim, was shot in the stomach and suffered massive internal damage.

The defendant then left the deli, according to the evidence, and robbed another man of his motorbike at gunpoint to escape. He was arrested two months later, on August 5, 2020, by the New York City Police Department.

Evon Hillman’s fiancée gave birth to their son two months after the murder.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Evan Hannay, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Chow Xie, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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