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NYPD: Stepson of 80-year-old Bronx man fatally shot is arrested, charged with murder
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 6, 2023
Modified Oct 6, 2023
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Brittany Kriegstein
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 6, 2023
Modified Oct 6, 2023
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Police have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of an 80-year-old Bronx man last month – and they say he’s a member of the family.
Melvin Java, 46, was arrested in Pennsylvania for killing octogenarian Marcelino Valerio as the elderly man returned home from a relative’s Sweet 16 party.
Java is the son of Valerio’s wife, Luz Collado. Collado told Gothamist via phone on Friday morning that Java has struggled with mental health issues since he was a kid, and harbored jealousy and anger toward her husband for unknown reasons.
“He’s my son, but he gave me many problems,” she said in Spanish, referring to Java, who had recently reconnected with the family after being estranged for a number of years. “He didn’t have a partner, he didn’t have friends. He had problems with the whole world.”
Collado said she spent years trying to get him help at school, but feels like the city ultimately failed him by not providing enough resources.
Still, Collado said she didn’t suspect her son in her husband’s murder.
“I didn’t know. I thought it was a stray bullet. My husband was a good person, he never had anyone negative against him,” she said.
After the killing, Java appeared at the family home to mourn.
“He was listening to everything silently, sitting there,” Collado recalled. “He wanted to stay with us, but I said no.”
Police have not yet established an official motive for the murder.
Surveillance video from the night of the shooting captured Java circling Valerio’s block in Highbridge, dressed in all black and riding a bicycle.
Just as Valerio and his wife were about to enter their building, police said Java rode by and shot his stepfather at close range. Valerio died at the scene shortly after.
Collado said she’s unsure whether or not she wants to attend her son’s appearances in court. She said the shooting has left her feeling nervous and alone in the home she had shared with her husband of 44 years.
“I see my husband here … drinking coffee, watching TV,” she said. “I keep the lights on, I don’t want to be there in the dark.”
A team of U.S. Marshals worked with the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force to track Java to his home in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he was arrested without incident.
He has been charged with murder, manslaughter, and weapons possession, and is currently awaiting arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court.
“I don’t want him to get back out to the streets,” Collado said. “I’m not going to support him.”
Information for Java’s attorney was not immediately available.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
public safety
bronx
murder
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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