By Howard Koplowitz
The Middle Village man arrested for allegedly killing a 16−year−old Middle Village football player and a Brooklyn resident in an early Sunday morning hit−and−run allegedly admitted that he was driving a stolen car while drunk and claimed he remembered seeing the two victims but did not realize he had struck them, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
“I was at a party. I had five or six vodka drinks and took two Xanax pills. I stole the car that was parked on the street. I drove the car and saw the pedestrians, but I didn’t think I hit anybody,” 27−year−old Kenneth Guyear allegedly told police, according to Brown’s office. “I kept driving and then stopped the car and looked for blood on the car. I kept driving and the police stopped me.”
Guyear, of 64−02 72nd. St., was accused of killing 16−year−old Robert Ogle and 20−year−old Alex Paul of Brooklyn after he ran down both men by Elliot Avenue and 80th Street in Middle Village while driving a stolen silver Kia at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, police said.
Brown said Guyear was ordered held without bail Monday by Queens Criminal Court Judge Joseph Zayas during his arraignment on assault, vehicular manslaughter, larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, criminally negligent homicide, grand larceny, leaving the scene without reporting a felony and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
Robert, described by family as a smart student at Brooklyn Tech who also played on the school’s football team, died at the scene while Paul died at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Elmhurst Hospital, police said.
“It’s not going to be easy,” said Robert’s distraught mother, Mei Ogle, closing a laptop Sunday displaying a photo of the teen, his brother and parents.
Brandon Ogle, Robert’s father, said his son used to play football for the Middle Village−based Queens Falcons before joining the squad at Brooklyn Tech.
Ogle said his son was walking home from a friend’s birthday party early Sunday morning when he was killed.
“He was a wonderful kid,” he said.
Police said Guyear fled the scene after striking the two victims with the Kia and was arrested shortly after near Dry Harbor Road and Woodhaven Boulevard.
Before allegedly admitting to stealing the car and driving drunk, Guyear originally claimed the car was a friend’s and that he had “three glasses of alcohol” but was not drunk, according to Brown’s office. He also claimed to be homeless and told police, “I’ve been to Rikers [Island] a thousand times. I’m not giving you any more info.”
Ogle said Robert was also a volunteer at the Queens Hall of Science and participated in Brooklyn Tech’s debate society and student government.
“He was a leader,” Ogle said, noting that his son was looking into enrolling at West Point. “He could have been anything.”
Mark Williams, coordinator of student activities at Brooklyn Tech, said Robert was “always smiling and touched a lot of people.”
“He used to hang out in the office every day up here because he used to help out with a lot of activities,” he said, which included a basketball tournament he was working on that other students pledged to plan to honor the slain student.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e−mail at hkoplowitz@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 173.
