A night of celebration turned into a tragedy on July 2, 2022, in the Richmond Hill section of Queens. Justin Baerga, a 24-year-old male, was celebrating his birthday, which had been just days earlier, at a party hosted at an auto repair shop called D-Touch Collision. The festivities at the 89th Avenue garage were tragically cut short at approximately 9:39 p.m.
that evening.
A black SUV arrived near the location, and a man, later identified as 27-year-old Curtis Benjamin of South Ozone Park, exited the passenger seat. He walked towards the auto repair shop and slipped under a partially open metal gate at the entrance. Once inside, he produced a handgun and fired approximately a dozen shots into the garage where the party was taking place. The sudden burst of gunfire created a scene of chaos and violence.
Justin Baerga was struck by bullets in the head and legs. He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead. The shooting also left three other partygoers wounded. A 25-year-old man was shot in the right leg and was transported to the same hospital in stable condition. A 17-year-old female was grazed in the torso, and an 18-year-old female was grazed in the head; both of them declined medical attention at the scene.
Following an investigation into the deadly shooting, Curtis Benjamin was identified as the alleged gunman. He was subsequently arrested and, in July 2024, a Queens grand jury indicted him on a 14-count indictment. The charges brought against him include murder in the second degree, three counts of attempted murder in the second degree, multiple counts of assault and attempted assault, reckless endangerment, and several counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Benjamin was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court, where he was remanded and ordered to return to court on September 19. If he is convicted of the charges, he faces a sentence of more than 25 years to life in prison.
