MANHATTAN, NY – New York City has announced the indictment of 54-year-old Jose Rodriguez for a violent incident last month in East Harlem that resulted in the death of his ex-girlfriend’s 19-year-old nephew, Ramon Alvarez, and the non-fatal shooting of his 38-year-old ex-girlfriend.
Rodriguez faces charges of Murder in the Second Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, along with one count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree.
The event unfolded in the early hours of April 10, around 3:00 a.m., at the ex-girlfriend’s apartment in NYCHA’s Jefferson Houses.
An altercation escalated when Rodriguez, after being asked to leave the apartment, drew a firearm and shot Alvarez in the abdomen during his attempt to intervene. Rodriguez also fired at his ex-girlfriend, grazing her shoulder. Alvarez was later pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital following emergency surgery.
Rodriguez fled the scene but was apprehended the following day in the Bronx, where he attempted to evade arrest and discarded a firearm. District Attorney Bragg expressed deep condolences to Mr. Alvarez’s family, describing the victim as a young dad-to-be, and affirmed the prosecution’s commitment to seeking full accountability for the devastating acts.