By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that South Ozone Park resident Curtis Benjamin was indicted Thursday in the shooting death of 24-year-old Justin Baerga who was at a party in Richmond Hill in July 2022 while celebrating his birthday. Three other partygoers were wounded in the shooting.
Benjamin, 27, was arraigned on a 14-count indictment charging him with murder in the second degree, three counts of attempted murder in the second degree, three counts of attempted assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, two counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree and four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
According to the charges:
On July 2, 2022, at approximately 9:39 p.m., Benjamin arrived in a black SUV near D-Touch Collision, an auto repair shop on 89th Avenue in Richmond Hill where Justin Baerga, who had turned 24 days earlier, was celebrating his birthday.
Benjamin got out of the passenger seat of the SUV, walked down the street to the auto repair shop and under a metal gate which was half open at the entrance to the shop. He pulled out a gun and fired approximately 12 shots into the garage.
Photo Courtesy of Google
Baerga later died at Jamaica Hospital.
Baerga was hit in the head and legs and was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where he died.
Three other people were hit by bullets and survived.
“A night of celebration turned into one of violence when a young man lost his life in a cold-blooded shooting that also wounded three others,” Katz said. “We will not let senseless gun violence shake our resolve to get illegal firearms and those who use them off our streets.”
If convicted, Benjamin faces in excess of 25 years to life in prison.
