A College Point man was arrested early Friday morning and booked at the 109th Precinct in Flushing for allegedly shooting a cross-town rival to death during an altercation in front of his home on a dead-end street along the Flushing Bay waterfront. Jose Centeno, 55, of College Point Boulevard, is being held without bail after was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging him with murder in the second degree and two felony weapons counts.
Police from the 109th Precinct responded to a 911 call of a man shot at 28-02 119th St. just before 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 17. Officers found the victim in a pool of blood in front of the home with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach, according to law enforcement sources.
EMS responded to the location and rushed the wounded man to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries a short while later and was pronounced dead. He was later identified as 50-year-old Antonio Cantor.
Soon after the shooting, Centeno was taken into custody as a person of interest. After questioning at the 109th Precinct, he was arrested at 2 a.m. on July 18 after detectives interviewed witnesses from Cantor’s street, and recovered video surveillance that showed Centeno shoot Cantor with a loaded firearm, according to the criminal complaint.
A source familiar with the investigation said it has since been determined that Centeno is the estranged husband of the woman who has recently been dating Cantor. Centeno was additionally charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, both felony offenses.
Queens Criminal Court Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar remanded Centeno into custody without bail. His next court date was not readily available, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.
