In the early morning hours of September 17, 2022, a dispute over a parking spot in Bay Shore, New York, escalated into a brutal chain of events that ended the life of 29-year-old Linver Ortiz-Ponce. Ortiz-Ponce, a Hispanic male from Ronkonkoma, had parked his red Camaro in front of a house on Fifth Avenue just before midnight. This seemingly trivial act angered Kayla Alvarenga, a 22-year-old resident of the home, who confronted Ortiz-Ponce and demanded he move his vehicle.
When
Ortiz-Ponce refused, Alvarenga allegedly called her friend, 27-year-old Christopher Perdomo, to 'take care' of the situation. Perdomo, along with three teenagers, arrived in a BMW that had been carjacked earlier that day. They forcibly removed Ortiz-Ponce from his car, viciously beat him, and stole his Camaro. Despite his injuries, Ortiz-Ponce managed to escape and fled to a nearby Shell gas station, where surveillance cameras captured him hiding behind vehicles.
Undeterred, Alvarenga allegedly instructed Perdomo and the others to find him. Using both the stolen Camaro and the carjacked BMW, the group located Ortiz-Ponce at the gas station. They abducted him at gunpoint, forcing him into the BMW. The group then drove to the parking lot of the Jesus House of Prayer Church of God on Holbrook Street, about six miles away. During the drive, Perdomo repeatedly struck Ortiz-Ponce with a gun. Once at the church, the group continued their assault until Ortiz-Ponce could only crawl away from his attackers. It was then, allegedly on Alvarenga's orders, that Perdomo shot Ortiz-Ponce, ending his life.
An investigation led to the arrests of seven individuals in connection with the murder. Christopher Perdomo and Kayla Alvarenga, along with five adolescents, were indicted on charges including first-degree murder, kidnapping, and carjacking. The teenagers' identities were not disclosed due to their age at the time of the crime. Perdomo, who had moved to Georgia after the incident, was apprehended and arraigned on multiple charges, including one count of murder in the first degree, for which he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Alvarenga was also scheduled for arraignment on similar charges, and the adolescent offenders were taken into custody with charges pending.
