By Ivan Pereira
Police were looking for clues into the murder of a mechanic outside his Springfield Gardens home Friday afternoon.
Officers found Cesar Asbert, 41, of 136th Avenue and 216th Street, shot in the torso around 2 p.m. near his house, police said. The victim was taken to Franklin General Hospital but pronounced dead once he got there, according to investigators.
There were no arrests as of press time Tuesday and no suspects had been named. The investigation was ongoing.
Signs of the murder were still visible the next day as police tape was all over the quiet neighborhood and several parked cars had bullet holes in their windows. Asbert’s next-door neighbor, who asked not to be named, spent Saturday morning removing the tape from the slain man’s front gate.
The neighbor said Asbert had only lived in the community for two years and was popular among the residents of the block.
“He took care of everybody,” the neighbor said.
Asbert’s family lived in Brooklyn and he worked as a mechanic, according to the neighbor. He did not know if the murdered man had any enemies.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), text their tips to 274637 (crimes) then enter TIP577 or log on to nypdcrimestoppers.com. All reports will be kept confidential.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
