In the late hours of a September night in the Bronx, 45-year-old Jose Alvarado told his mother he would be right back, a promise that would tragically go unfulfilled. On that evening of September 24, 2022, Alvarado drove his Mercedes-Benz to the Hunts Point neighborhood. Shortly before midnight, after parking his vehicle, he was approached by three individuals. The encounter quickly turned violent as the men robbed him, taking his wallet and phone.
In the course of the robbery, one of the assailants fired a single, fatal shot that struck Alvarado in the head.
The assailants then fled the scene in Alvarado's own vehicle, leaving him grievously wounded on the pavement. Emergency services were called, and Alvarado was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, but his injury was too severe, and he was pronounced dead. Investigators began to piece together the events of that night, speculating that Alvarado may have been lured to the location by a phone call, a setup for the robbery that ultimately cost him his life. Surveillance footage from the area would later prove crucial in the investigation.
Within days, the New York Police Department made significant headway in the case. On September 27, 2022, two 18-year-old suspects, Ahkeem Chase and Latrell Fleming, were taken into custody. Both teenagers were charged with murder, robbery, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the death of Jose Alvarado. The investigation into the deadly carjacking and the potential involvement of a third suspect remained ongoing as the judicial process against Chase and Fleming commenced.
