After killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring another innocent bystander during a rival street gang shooting in Queens, two Crips members have each been sentenced to 50 years in prison, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced.
“Without the slightest regard for human life, the defendants recklessly turned the streets of Queens County into a deadly battleground that claimed the life of an innocent young student walking home from school and wounded a second hard-working teenager, said Brown. “The lengthy prison sentence imposed today is more than justified and sends a strong message to others who might think of resorting to gunfire to settle disputes.”
Gregory Calas, 21, of St. Albans, and Nnonso Ekwegbalu, 19, of Springfield Gardens, were convicted last November of first-degree manslaughter for the death of Kevin Miller.
According to the district attorney, on the afternoon of October 2, 2009, Miller was killed when a bullet struck him during a shootout between members of the Bloods and Crips. Pedro Garcia, 17, who was working at a corner car wash, was also shot in the leg. Both teens were not involved in the altercation or members of the gangs.
