Bushwick Man Busted For Double Homicide
Less than a week after two Brooklyn men were murdered, then dumped in Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach and set on fire, a Bushwick man was collared by detectives on Tuesday, Mar. 12, for his alleged role in the double homicide, law enforcement sources said.
Rogelio Rodriguez, 34, of Grove Street was arraigned the following morning, Wednesday, Mar. 13, in Queens Criminal Court on counts of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and other charges in connection with the deaths of Gary Lopez, 25, of Covert Street in Bushwick and Rudy Superville, 22, of Christopher Avenue in Brownsville.
Their bodies were discovered by firefighters who responded to what initially appeared to be a brush fire in the vicinity of 159th Avenue and 78th Street at around 4:15 a.m. last Wednesday morning, Mar. 6. Investigators, however, determined that Rodriguez allegedly set the fire intentionally in an effort to cover up the crime, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
“This case will be pursued to ensure that justice is served,” Brown said in a statement on Tuesday night.
According to prosecutors, Rodriguez and three unidentified, unapprehended suspects allegedly murdered Lopez and Superville inside Rodriguez’s home on Grove Street near Central Avenue at around 8 a.m. last Tuesday morning, Mar. 5.
Published reports indicated that Rodriguez is an alleged drug dealer whom Lopez and Superville allegedly planned to rob that morning. Their apparent plan, however, reportedly backfired after Rodriguez was apparently informed of the plot in advance.
Reportedly, Lopez was shot and wounded by one of the unidentified suspects, then assaulted, pistolwhipped and struck with a chair by Rodriguez. Moments later, law enforcement sources noted, a second individual shot Lopez and a third man assaulted him further.
Superville, meanwhile, suffered a similar death at around the same time and location, as he was reportedly shot by an unidentified suspect, then pistolwhipped by Rodriguez. Authorities said that another unnamed individual, brandishing a knife, entered the location and confronted the victim.
Multiple Fire Department units and the 106th Precinct responded to the location after receiving 911 calls regarding the fire on the undeveloped site last Wednesday morning. Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters found Lopez and Superville.
According to prosecutors, a plastic substance had been melted over their bodies.
Upon being pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, the bodies were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the causes of their deaths. The autopsies concluded that Lopez and Superville had been shot multiple times about their bodies.
Both men also had various other injuries including blunt force trauma to their heads; Superville reportedly also suffered stab wounds to his back and neck.
Detectives reportedly learned that Rodriguez allegedly visited the Newtown Creek in Maspeth early last Thursday morning, Mar. 7, and dumped seven firearms into the wa- terway. Prosecutors said the weapons were recovered by police and tested; two of the firearms were found to have been used in the double murder.
Rodriguez faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life behind bars if convicted, Brown noted.
The 106th Precinct Detective Squad and the NYPD Queens Homicide Squad are continuing their investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patricia A. Diaz of the D.A.’s Homicide Investigations
Bureau, which is supervised by Assistant District Attorneys Peter T. Reese, bureau chief, and Peter J. McCormack III, deputy bureau chief.
Anyone with any additional information regarding the murders that could prove helpful is asked to contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-577-TIPS, by text message to 274637 (enter information, then the code TIP577) or online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
All calls and messages will be kept confidential.
