TWO DEFENDANTS SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERMS FOR GUNNING DOWN VICTIM IN BODEGA

Usanewsonline.com desk: Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that 32-year-old Fabian DeJesus-Garcia  has been sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison after being convicted at trial of killing a man in a bodega in  Jackson Heights, Queens. Second defendant, Gamaliel Desiderio-Sanchez, also 32, pleaded guilty to  manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the March 2018 shooting death.  

District Attorney Katz said, “This was an execution in a busy commercial area with the defendants  ambushing the victim. While one distracted the target, the other walked up from behind and shot him without  provocation. My Office will not stand for brazen acts of violence on the streets of Queens.”  

DeJesus-Garcia, of Northern Boulevard in Corona, Queens, was found guilty of murder in the second  degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and unlawful possession of  pistol ammunition following a trial in March 2022. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michelle Johnson, who  presided at trial, sentenced this defendant Friday to 25 years-to-life in prison.  

Defendant Desiderio-Sanchez, of St. Ann’s Avenue in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, pleaded  guilty to manslaughter in the first degree before Justice Johnson, also in March 2022. Friday, Justice Johnson  ordered Desiderio-Sanchez to serve 18 years in prison, to be followed by five years’ post release supervision.  

According to Court records, on March 22, 2018, the two defendants went to the 5 de Mayo Deli on  Roosevelt Avenue around 8 p.m. Desiderio-Sanchez handed DeJesus-Garcia a .32 caliber pistol upon  arriving at the bodega. When Seferino Flores-Pineda arrived at 5 de Mayo, Desiderio-Sanchez engaged him  in conversation. As the two talked, defendant DeJesus-Garcia approached the 31-year-old victim from  behind and shot him three times. Mr. Flores-Pineda was shot in the face and chest.  

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died from the injuries.  

Assistant District Attorney Christine McCoy, Deputy Chief of the Felony Trials III Bureau,  prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Reale, under the supervision  of Bureau Chief Rachel Buchter and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Pishoy  Yacoub of the Trial Division. And also under the supervision of Senior Deputy Bureau Chief of Homicide  John Kosinski, under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes  Daniel Saunders.   Press Release