An undomiciled man could face 25 years to life in prison for the murder of a 25-year-old Long Island man last week in Jackson Heights, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced on Tuesday.
John Daves, 32, appeared in Queens Criminal Court on Monday night, Oct. 1, for arraignment before Judge Jeffrey Gershuny on charges of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
“The defendant used a knife to settle a fight and now because of this senseless act of violence, a 25-year-old young man is dead,” said Brown. “The defendant faces a very long term of incarceration for his alleged actions.”
According to the criminal complaint, at 9:41 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the intersection of 80th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Daves and the victim, Miguel Angel Becerra-Perez, 25, were waiting at a food cart for a shish kabab. The two young men then began to argue.
Prosecutors said that Daves could be seen on video surveillance footage chasing the victim down the block. Once the Daves caught up with the victim, authorities said, he grabbed Becerra-Perez, pulled him to the ground and stabbed him with a knife which he had grabbed from the food cart.
Becerra-Perez was stabbed in the right arm and the chest and died as result of his injuries.
Judge Gershuny ordered the defendant to be held without bail and to return to court on October 30, 2018. If convicted, Daves faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
