The second of two men who robbed and killed a 43-year-old man in his Richmond Hill apartment, then set his body on fire to cover their tracks, will be spending the next three decades in prison, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
Stephen Peters, 26, of 95th Avenue was convicted back in January of this year on charges include second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, burglary and kidnapping, third-degree arson and tampering with physical evidence for the February 2013 homicide of Azeem Ali of Richmond Hill. He is now serving 30 years to life in prison.
According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Peters and his accomplice — Jason St. Hill, 21, also of 95th Avenue in Richmond Hill — visited Ali’s home on 116th Street just after midnight on Feb. 24, 2013 and assaulted the victim, then bound his hands and feet with an electrical cord. Peters then went to retrieve a can of gasoline while St. Hill pointed a gun at Ali’s head.
Upon returning, prosecutors said, Peters demanded Ali’s bank card and PIN number, which the victim agreed to provide. He then shot Ali three times in the head, causing his death. Peters then doused Ali’s body and apartment with gasoline, then set everything on fire as he and St. Hill fled.
Firefighters responded to the home moments later and discovered Ali’s body after extinguishing the blaze.
During an investigation, police learned that Peters used Ali’s card shortly after the murder at an ATM inside a restaurant on Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park, where he withdrew $100 in cash. He then attempted to use the same card at an ATM at an Atlantic Avenue gas station, but was unsuccessful.
Members of the 102nd Precinct Detective Squad arrested Peters and St. John four days later. St. Hill plead guilty in February of this year to first-degree robbery and is currently serving a 12 1/2-year prison sentence.
