Homeless man accused of killing 2 residents outside Brooklyn migrant shelter
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) --- A homeless moped rider is accused of shooting and killing two men outside a migrant shelter in Brooklyn on Sunday, police said.
Jorge Said Benitez Villa, 26, allegedly shot Enny DeJesus Urbina Mendez, 21, in the chest and 59-year-old Francisco Fuentes Rangel in the head in front of the shelter at 29 Ryerson St. at around 10:45 p.m., according to the NYPD. Both men rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.
The gunman hopped off a dark-colored moped before allegedly opening fire outside the Clinton Hill shelter where the two victims lived, police said. It was unclear what prompted the shooting.
Villa was arrested days later and charged with two counts of murder, police said Friday.
Minutes before the incident, authorities found Arturo Jose Rodriguez-Marcano, 30, with a gunshot wound in the chest in Steuben Park by Steuben Street and Flushing Avenue, just two blocks away from the shelter, police said. The man died at the hospital.
Villa has not been charged in the 30-year-old man's death. It was unclear if the three shootings were connected, according to the NYPD.
On Tuesday, Brooklyn residents held a rally to voice their concerns over the recent violence around the migrant shelter. Neighbors said two shelters in the neighborhood have been inundated with more than 3,000 asylum seekers living at the sites, causing residents to fear for their safety.
“I walk down my street, and my neighbors look traumatized,” said Clinton Hill resident Alia Mckee. “They’re afraid. The kids don’t want to go to the park. The kids look at me. They heard about the shootings and they’re asking me about it. I don’t know what to tell them. I can’t keep them safe.”
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.