By Adam Pincus
Darwin Roque, 27, of 94-21 41st Ave. in Elmhurst was sentenced Feb. 7 following his conviction in November after a four-week jury trial on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon, authorities said.Prosecutors said Roque, who was the manager of a family-owned Horizon Pet Shop at 88-20 37th Ave. in Jackson Heights, on the evening of Dec. 20, 2003 used a butterfly knife to fatally stab 17-year-old Wilson Argudo eight times in the torso and face.The brutal attack occurred several blocks from the store, near the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and 90th Street, prosecutors said.Roque had chased a group of teens out of the store who had been taunting puppies, and when he was returning to the store came across another group of youths and exchanged words with them, a spokesman for District Attorney Richard Brown said.The words escalated into the deadly attack, he said.”The defendant has now been held responsible for his action and punished by the imposition of a lengthy prison sentence for the senseless stabbing death of a young man,” DA Richard Brown said.Supreme Court Justice Randall Eng imposed the sentence of 23 years to life, the DA said.Reach reporter Adam Pincus by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
