Bronx DA: Bronx Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Stabbing Teen To Death While Trying To Rob Him

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STABBING TEEN TO DEATH WHILE TRYING TO ROB HIM

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to Manslaughter;

Also Pleaded Guilty to Robbery and Assault for Two Other Incidents

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has beensentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally stabbing a teenage boy he was trying to steal from in 2016, for robbing a man, and for assaulting a Correction Officer while being held on Rikers Island.

 

 

District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant stabbed and killed Carluis Ducasse, a straight-A student who was just days away from graduating high school.  The incident happened in front of his home while the victim was out buying ice cream with a friend. The defendant took the life of a promising young man and now he will spend two decades behind bars.”

 

 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Eustace James, 22, of 2405 Marion Avenue, wassentenced today to 20 years in prison and 5 years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Marsha Michael. James pleaded guilty to first-degree Manslaughter, second-degree Assault and second-degree Robbery on March 20, 2019.

 

According to the investigation, on June 17, 2016, in front of 1764 Walton Avenue, a separately apprehended individual, Tristan Ortiz, went up to Carluis Ducasse, 17, and demanded money. When the teen resisted and fought back, James stabbed him once in the chest with a knife. The victim was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where he died.

 

On May 3, 2017 at 54 East 182nd Street, the defendant came upon Ruben Padilla, 54, in a building stairwell and robbed him. The defendant pointed what appeared to be a firearm–but was actually a BB gun– at the victim and told him to give him money or he would kill him. James took Padilla’s wallet, cellphone, cash and debit card, among other belongings.

 

          James was arrested on July 20, 2017.

 

According to the investigation, on March 20, 2019 at the George Vierno Center in Rikers Island, the defendant assaulted a Correction Officer. The victim had gone inside a janitor’s closet to fetch a scrub brush for the defendant when James entered the closet after him and punched the CO multiple times in the neck and face.

 

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Miras, Homicide Counsel, underthe supervision of Christine Scaccia, Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and the overall supervision ofJames Brennan, Deputy Chief of the Trial Division, and Theresa Gottlieb, Chief of the Trial Division.District Attorney Clark thanked Detective Matthew McCrosson of the Bronx Homicide Squad for his assistance in the investigation.

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