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Man shot near Brooklyn migrant center dies, alleged shooter charged with murder
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jul 26, 2024
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José A. Alvarado Jr. / Gothamist
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jul 26, 2024
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The police have arrested and charged a man with two counts of murder, following shootings near a Brooklyn migrant center on Sunday night.
The NYPD announced the charges against 26-year-old Jorge Said Benitez Villa on Friday. Police said he got off a moped in front of the migrant shelter on Ryerson Street in Clinton Hill and opened fire on Sunday night, striking Enny DeJesus Urbina Mendez, 21, and Francisco Fuentes Rangel, 59. Mendez was transported to Bellevue Hospital and pronounced dead, police said earlier this week. Police also said on Friday that Rangel has since succumbed to his injuries and died.
Police responded to the Ryerson Street shooting just minutes after another occurred at a nearby park on Flushing Avenue and Steuben Street, where Arturo Jose Rodriguez-Marcano, 30, was shot and killed. City Councilmember Crystal Hudson of Brooklyn, whose district includes the area, said in a statement earlier this week that police believed the two incidents were related, but the NYPD has not yet responded to a message Friday asking if authorities have confirmed any connection between the incidents.
A police announcement of the charges only directly referenced the shootings on Ryerson Street.
Police said Friday the alleged shooter in Ryerson Street deaths is currently “in the hospital” and there’s not yet a timeline for his arraignment.
The deadly shootings and other violent incidents in the area have only added to the anxieties of neighborhood residents, who believe the shelters are too big. Mayor Eric Adams shot down the idea of relocating the shelters at a press conference this week.
Migrants who sleep in the park near the center told Gothamist this week they’re afraid in the aftermath of the shooting, but have nowhere else to go. Some said they’d reached their time limit in the city’s shelter system.
The Brooklyn district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Gothamist on Friday.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Tagged
public safety
brooklyn
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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