Year: 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison
for Fatally Shooting 15-Year-Old Near NYCHA Playground

Defendant Fired into a Crowd of People at the Bushwick Houses

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a 15-year-old boy at the Bushwick Houses in 2018. A 43-year-old man was also wounded by the defendant when he opened fire on a playground and into a crowded courtyard where children were present.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This was a despicable act of gun violence that took the life of an innocent teenage boy and left an entire family and community traumatized. Senseless shootings like this tear at the fabric of our neighborhoods, leaving lasting pain and fear. Everyone deserves to feel secure in their community, and we will continue to hold accountable those who threaten innocent lives with such brazen and callous violence.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Elijah Harris, 25, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, 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 assault, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on October 3, 2024, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on July 17, 2018, at approximately 2:40 p.m., the defendant was riding a bike on the sidewalk, near 370 and 390 Bushwick Avenue, when he took out a handgun. The defendant then fired at least nine times on a playground and into a courtyard of the Bushwick Houses where a crowd of over 15 people were gathered, including children. The defendant’s gunfire struck Kyon Jackson, 15, in the chest; another shot struck a 43-year-old man in the cheek.

Jackson, a ninth grader at Lyons Community School, was rushed to Woodhull Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The defendant was arrested shortly thereafter by police and the handgun was recovered.

The District Attorney thanked Intelligence Analyst Lakeisha Taylor for her assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sarah Jafari, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph Tillman, of the District Attorney’s Grey Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Man Arraigned for Fatally Torching Woman Sleeping Inside Subway Car

Used Shirt to Fan Flames; Caught on Video Surveillance

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a homeless man has been arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with first-degree murder and related counts for allegedly setting a woman, identified as Debrina Kawam, on fire as she slept inside a subway car in Coney Island, Brooklyn, then fanning the flames with a shirt and watching her die.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “It is difficult to fathom what could lead someone to commit the atrocious and horrific murder with which this defendant is charged. My office swiftly obtained an indictment, and we are determined to exact the most severe punishment for this heinous and inhumane act. Ms. Kawam and her loved ones deserve a measure of justice and New Yorkers deserve to feel safe in the subways.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who resided in an East New York shelter. The defendant was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on an indictment in which he is charged with first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson. The defendant was held without bail and ordered to return to court on March 12, 2025. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on December 22, 2024, at about 7:25 a.m., the victim was sleeping inside an F train that had reached its terminus at the Stillwell Avenue Station in Coney Island. Video surveillance showed the defendant, who rode the same car as the victim from Queens, use what appears to be a lighter to set fire to fabric that covered the sleeping woman.

The evidence further shows the defendant first watched from inside the car as the fire grew then used what looks like a shirt to fan it until the victim became engulfed in flames. He was then seen watching the blaze from a bench on the platform before walking away.

Police quickly identified the defendant and distributed his image to the media. Police received a tip that he was aboard an F train near the Herald Square-34th Street Station, and he was apprehended a little before 4 p.m. the same day.

The victim was declared dead at the scene and the medical examiner determined the cause of death to be a combination of heat burns and smoke inhalation. She was burned beyond recognition and was identified as Ms. Kawam, originally of Toms River, New Jersey, nine days after the incident.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Perry, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, January 6, 2025

Fugitive Indicted for Murder of 18-Year-Old in Canarsie

Extradited from Trinidad and Tobago to Face Prosecution 

 Defendant Allegedly Ambushed the Victim and Shot Him in His Vehicle

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a fugitive who fled to Trinidad and Tobago after allegedly shooting a teenager in Canarsie in 2021 has been returned to Brooklyn to faces charges in his death. Murder charges are also pending against the defendant’s girlfriend, who was arrested in 2022.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “The brutal ambush and murder of 18-year-old Sharif Richards in Canarsie was a heinous act of violence that shattered a young life and devastated a family. By extraditing the alleged perpetrator from Trinidad and Tobago, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensuring that this kind of callous disregard for human life is met with the full force of justice.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Anthony Regis-Ash, 24, formerly of Brooklyn. The defendant was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo on an indictment in which he is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree attempted robbery, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was ordered held without bail and to return to court on February 7, 2025. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

A co-defendant, Amari Harvey, 24, of Brooklyn, was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport on January 5, 2022, as she tried to board a flight to Trinidad and Tobago. She is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and first-degree attempted robbery and is being held on $1million cash bail or $2 million bond.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on September 29, 2021, in the vicinity of Foster Avenue and East 80th Street, in Canarsie, Brooklyn, at approximately 10:40 p.m., NYPD officers responded to 911 calls of a man shot and found the victim, Sharif Richards, next to his crashed motor vehicle with a gunshot wound to his chest. He subsequently died of the gunshot wound.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, police conducted an extensive video canvass of cameras in the area to track the victim’s movements before the shooting, which led to the discovery of the defendant’s 2015 Nissan on East 78th Street between Farragut Road and Glenwood Road, with a man and a woman in the vehicle. The woman exits the vehicle and walks down the block and allegedly meets up with Richards, who is in his 2007 Infiniti.

The video also allegedly shows the woman, later determined to be co-defendant Amari Harvey, gets into the vehicle and a minute later the defendant, wearing a hoodie and a mask, is seen leaning into Richards vehicle in an alleged attempt to rob him. He allegedly then shoots Richards in the chest and Richards drives off and crashes a few blocks away. The woman exits the vehicle and leaves the scene with the defendant.

As part of the investigation, phone records and text messages were reviewed and revealed prior communications between Richards and the woman, as well as Richards and the defendant.

The District Attorney thanked our law enforcement partners who made this international fugitive apprehension possible, including the New York City Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Department of Justice, the State Department, and the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Mancino and Michael Diamond, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, January 3, 2025

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

For Shooting and Wounding Man in Bedford-Stuyvesant

Defendant and Victim Had a Dispute Outside Bar on Tompkins Avenue

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Bedford-Stuyvesant man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison following his conviction for second-degree attempted murder for opening fire outside a neighborhood bar and striking a man in the leg. The defendant was convicted last month following a jury trial.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that senseless acts of gun violence have no place in Brooklyn. The defendant’s decision to open fire over a petty argument not only caused serious harm to the victim but endangered innocent lives in our community. This brazen disregard for safety is unacceptable. As Brooklyn reached the lowest number of shootings ever recorded last year, we remain steadfast in our commitment to holding individuals who perpetrate gun violence accountable to ensure our borough remains a safer place for all.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Hajj Lovick, 48, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully to 12 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision. The defendant was convicted of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first- and second-degree criminal use of a firearm on December 11, 2024, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on June 15, 2023, at approximately 1:40 a.m., the defendant stepped out of Lover’s Rock, a bar located at 419 Tompkins Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, with the victim, a 51-year-old man, and the two men engaged in a verbal dispute. The defendant was armed with a knife and feinted use of that knife against the victim, as if he was going to stab him. The victim was unarmed.

Furthermore, according to the evidence, after the dispute cooled down the defendant left the vicinity of Lover’s Rock and entered a nearby building. Minutes later, according to the evidence, the defendant returned with a gun and fired twice toward the victim and several bystanders. The victim was struck once in his right shin. No one else was struck. Video surveillance captured the moments before the shooting, the shooting, and the aftermath of the shooting.

The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital and was treated and released.

The defendant fled the scene and was arrested on June 19, 2023, following an investigation. A knife was recovered from the defendant at the time of his arrest.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alejandro Vera and Senior Assistant District Attorney Natalie Riether, of the District Attorney’s Blue Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kin Ng, Chief of the Blue Zone.

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