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Suarez fatally shot Juan Pichardo once in the head in front of this 130th Street home.
By Forum Staff
A Queens Village resident has been found guilty of fatally shooting a Queens teenager and wounding another man during an attempted drug robbery in January 2015.
Jairam C. Ali Suarez, 26, of 214th Street, was convicted late yesterday of two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, robbery and attempted robbery.
Suarez, who faces up to 50 years to life in prison, will be sentenced in November.
According to trial testimony, 21-year-old Wilfredo Aponte, of Ridgewood, Queens, was seated in the backseat of a vehicle parked in front of 150-22 130th Street during the early morning hours of January 6, 2015, when Suarez opened the backdoor and entered the vehicle with the intent of robbing its occupants of the pound of marijuana they believed he was there to buy.
While inside the vehicle, Suarez displayed a firearm and shot Mr. Aponte once in the upper right leg before turning his firearm toward the driver, John Pichardo, 19, and fatally shooting him once in the head before fleeing. Mr. Aponte was transported to a local Queens hospital and treated for his injuries.
“In rendering its verdict, the jury found the defendant guilty of committing a cold and calculating act,” said DA Brown. “The actions of the defendant warrants imposition of a lengthy prison sentence to punish him and protect society.”
