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Corona man sentenced in 2019 fatal stabbing of fellow christening party guest: DA

Howard Beach
Five Romanian nationals living in Queens were arrested Thursday and criminally charged hours later in Brooklyn federal court for allegedly skimming ATMs across the borough to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from more than 600 victims, according to federal prosecutors.
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Corona resident Antonio Martinez was sentenced on Dec. 6 to 23 years to life in prison for the fatal stabbing of a fellow guest at a 2019 christening party in the neighborhood, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

Martinez, 50, of 98th Street, was convicted of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree on Nov. 16 following a jury trial before Queens Criminal Court Judge Casandra Mullen.

According to the charges, shortly before 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2019, Martinez approached 22-year-old Roque Alvarez-Montes, of Corona, outside of the christening party in the vicinity of 98th Street and 37th Avenue in Corona. The two men were engaged in an argument when Martinez pulled out a knife and plunged it into the chest of Alvarez-Montes.

Officers from the 115th Precinct responded to the crime scene and found Alvarez-Montes unconscious. EMS rushed Alvarez-Montes to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead. Homicide Detectives took Martinez into custody on Oct. 9, 2019.

“A celebration of life resulted in a violent death because of the defendant’s decision to fatally stab a party guest over an argument,” Katz said. “He will now spend a lengthy prison term as punishment for his actions.”