Christmas Eve Murderer Receives 15 Years

Now 17 years of age, a Rego Park youth convicted of stabbing two 20-year-old men – killing one and critically wounding the other – during a 2004 Christmas Eve altercation outside the Midway Theater in Forest Hills has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
“The crimes of which the defendant has been convicted were senseless and vicious and perpetrated by an immature individual who chose a weapon over words to settle a verbal dispute,” said District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
&#8220I hope that the surviving victim and all of those affected by these two tragic incidents can find some degree of solace in today’s sentence and in the knowledge that the defendant will be behind bars for many years as punishment for his actions.”
The defendant has been identified as Pierre Arias, 17, of 64-33 99th Street in Rego Park. He was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder after a three-week jury trial.  
Three other individuals have also been charged in the incident: Daniel Cho, 17, of 72-34 Austin Street and brothers Peter Gerardi, 21, and Herman Gerardi, 19, both of 20 Whitson Street, all in Forest Hills.
Herman Gerardi previously pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted gang assault and is awaiting sentencing on October 26. Defendants Cho and Peter Gerardi are presently awaiting trial.
Brown said that, according to trial testimony, the four defendants allegedly attacked Davey Adames and Yajdiel Collado, both 20, just after midnight on December 24, 2004 outside of the Midway Theater, located at 108-22 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills.  
Arias, then 15-years-old, repeatedly stabbed Mr. Adames in the abdomen, back, arm and face, killing him, and stabbed Mr. Collado in the arm and back, seriously wounding him. All three co-defendants allegedly repeatedly punched and kicked the victims.