You are reading

DA: Gang Member Sentenced to 13 1/2 Years Prison for Shooting Death of Elmhurst Man

Raul Zamora

Feb. 9, 2018 By Tara Law

A gang member was sentenced yesterday to 13 1/2 years in prison for the 2015 murder of an Elmhurst man in Jackson Heights.

Raul Zamora, 33, of Jackson Heights, pleaded guilty last month to first degree manslaughter for shooting and killing Jorge Manzanarez, 38, around 2:20 p.m. on May 5, 2015.

Zamora, a reputed member of the gang Sureño 13, got into an argument with Manzanarez at the intersection of Whitney and Roosevelt Avenues, according to the Queens District Attorney. Zamora brandished a gun and shot the victim once in the chest.

Manzanarez was taken to a local hospital and died later that day.

“In pleading guilty, the defendant admitted that he intentionally took the life of another person and used a gun to settle a petty dispute,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown. “His actions revealed a total disregard for human life and he must be punished for this senseless killing. The lengthy term of incarceration imposed by the Court today is more than warranted.”

Zamora was sentenced to 13 1/2 years followed by five years’ post release supervision.

A co-defendant, 35-year-old Isaac Martinez, assisted Zamora in the crime, according to District Attorney. He pleaded guilty last year to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison and five years’ post release supervision.

A third man, who also allegedly assisted in the crime, remains at large.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
R.Guimaraes

Street gangs are all over J.H’s , Corona , Elmhurst & East Elmhurst. There should be more police patrol on foot from the 110pct & 115pct. The police needs to get more familiar with the neighborhood. They can’t do that driving around with the window up

5
1
Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Repeat hate crime offender charged in anti-Muslim subway attack in Forest Hills: DA

A Southeast Queens man is being held without bail after he was criminally charged with assault in the first degree as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly punching and kicking a Muslim woman on an E train in Forest Hills during the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 18.

Naved Durrni, 34, of 106th Avenue in Jamaica, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Thursday and additionally charged with aggravated harassment in the first and second degrees.

Hate Crimes Task Force investigating bomb threats against Mamdani: NYPD

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force launched a probe into multiple death threats made against Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani after his district office at 24-08 32nd St. in Astoria received four expletive-filled phone voicemails, on various dates, making threatening anti-Muslim statements by an unknown individual, including a threat to blow up his car.

The calls were made from an untraceable number and labeled the mayoral candidate a “terrorist who is not welcome in New York or America” in a message phoned in on Wednesday morning.

Seven teens indicted for attempted murder in brutal Kissena Park gang attack on two girls: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted seven teenagers for attempted murder, gang assault, robbery, and other crimes for an attack on two girls inside Kissena Park in Flushing in early May.

The defendants, who are all 17 years old, were variously arraigned in Queens Supreme Court between June 4 and Wednesday in two separate 25-count indictments with two counts of attempted murder in the second degree. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison.

Queens Defenders founder charged with stealing nonprofit funds as second scandal unfolds

The founder of the Queens Defenders and her husband have lawyered up after they were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the non-profit organization.

Former Queens Defenders executive director Lori Zeno, 64, surrendered Wednesday at the Brooklyn federal courthouse. Zeno was arraigned on an indictment charging her and Rashad Ruhani, 55, with wire fraud conspiracy, theft, money laundering conspiracy and other crimes.