By Naeisha Rose
A three-week bench trial concluded last week at Queens Criminal Court with the conviction of a homeless man for manslaughter in the beating death of a 57-year-old man who was at a bus stop in Far Rockaway, according to the Queens DA.
Judge Deborah Modica found defendant Danthony Horton, 36, guilty of first-degree manslaughter of Ricardo Cruz, DA Richard Brown said.
Cruz was at the Q114 bus stop at 21-50 Mott Ave. on May 26, 2016 and Horton came up to him and punched him in the face, causing him to lose consciousness, according to trial records. After the victim was knocked to the ground, two bystanders intervened to help Cruz until the defendant left.
Surveillance video caught the incident on camera as well as when Horton departed the scene and the bystanders propped the victim up against a store gate, then left, according to the criminal complaint.
The surveillance video also caught footage of Horton coming back to the scene to kick Cruz in the head five times, only to later rob the victim and leave him for dead, the trial records showed.
In the footage, the assaults occurred in the course of 15 minutes between 4:15 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., according to DA Brown.
“This is a truly troubling case,” Brown said. “The defendant is accused of punching the victim once in the face and knocking him to the ground, rendering him unconscious. When the victim regained consciousness, the defendant allegedly returned to the scene and continued his assault on the victim before robbing him and leaving him to die.”
Cruz was taken to a local Queens hospital and pronounced dead, the DA said.
The 101st Precinct conducted the investigation into his death and arrested the defendant two blocks away from the murder scene, according to the DA.
Horton faces 25 years in prison at his sentencing, which is scheduled for Nov. 16, according to Modica.
The Homicide Trials Bureau prosecuted the case.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose
