Man pleads guilty to death of neighbor

A 20-year-old Richmond Hill man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a 52-year-old neighborhood resident in front of his own home in March 2005.
The defendant, Antonio Roque, attacked Jagat Balram outside his home, resulting in a fatal heart attack.
Roque, 20, of 114-09 Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill, who was attending high school at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter before Queens Supreme Court Justice Robert J. Hanophy who indicated that he would sentence the defendant to 10 years in prison on December 18.
&#8220The defendant senselessly attacked a hard-working family man on his way home from work, resulting his suffering a fatal heart attack,” said District Attorney Richard A. Brown. &#8220Though the defendant has admitted his guilt, it doesn't eradicate the harm and suffering that his action inflicted on the victim and his family.”
According to Brown, the defendant admitted that about 1 a.m. on March 1, 2005, he punched school bus mechanic Jagat Balram outside of his Jamaica Avenue residence.  
Balram was transported to a nearby Queens hospital and pronounced dead of a heart attack suffered as a result of the beating.