Bronx DA: Bronx Man Sentenced to 20 Years to Life in Prison for Taking NYPD Officer’s Gun and Fatally Shooting Deli Worker

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON

FOR TAKING NYPD OFFICER’S GUN AND

FATALLY SHOOTING DELI WORKER

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to First-Degree Murder

 

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree Murder for fatally shooting a deli worker with a police officer’s gun.

 

 

District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant, Effrain Guzman, killed an innocent deli worker who ran over to help fellow bodega workers while they were being assaulted by Guzman. The defendant grabbed the gun of a police officer who responded to the incident and fired approximately 15 rounds, and one shot struck the victim, a hard-working father who showed bravery during the last moments of his life.”

 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Effrain Guzman, 33, of 20 Richman Plaza, wassentenced today to 20 years to life in prison by Bronx Supreme Court Justice James McCarty. The defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree Murder on January 2, 2019 before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Barry E. Warhit.

 

According to the investigation, on the night of August 9, 2016, Guzman entered N&A Foods and begged for money. Wally Camara, 49, a worker there, threw him out. The defendant then walked across the street to A&M Deli, at East 198th Street and Valentine Avenue, where he demanded money and attempted to get behind the counter. Guzman assaulted the workers there and Camara ran over to the bodega to help them. NYPD Police Officers Jorge Monge and Sean Kern responded to the call and attempted to break up the fight. Guzman took the gun out of Monge’s holster and began firing, striking Camara in the leg. Kern returned fire and struck Guzman. As the defendant lay on the floor, he continued firing at the cops and store workers until the gun ran out of rounds.

 

The victim died from a gunshot wound to his right thigh that severed the femoral artery.

 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Orville Reynolds, Supervisor in Trial Bureau 60, under the supervision of Susanna Imbo, Chief of Trial Bureau 60, and Christine Scaccia, Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and the overall supervision of James Brennan, Deputy Chief of the TrialDivision, and Theresa Gottlieb, Chief of the Trial Division. District Attorney Clark thanked her Public Integrity Bureau.

 

District Attorney Clark thanked the NYPD Field Investigation Division, specifically Detective Michael Carreras and Lieutenant John Natoli.