In the late hours of a warm Queens evening on June 30, 2020, tragedy befell 21-year-old Dante Sartillian. At approximately 11:35 p.m. in Corona, what began as a chase down Warren Street ended in a fatal act of violence. Sartillian was shot in the chest near 41st Avenue, a single. 40-caliber bullet tragically cutting his life short. Despite his grave injury, he managed to seek help, running around the corner and collapsing inside Sabor Latino, an Ecuadorean restaurant.
A friend quickly
transported Sartillian to Elmhurst Hospital, but the wound proved to be fatal. He was pronounced dead on July 1, 2020, leaving a community in mourning and a police investigation in his wake. The New York City Police Department's 110th Precinct and the Queens North Homicide Squad immediately began a search for those responsible for the senseless act of violence that had shattered a young man's life.
The investigation led to the apprehension of two suspects. On July 27, 2020, authorities arrested 23-year-old Joshua Petillo of Corona. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Prosecutors from the Queens District Attorney's Office alleged that Petillo was the individual who chased Sartillian and fired the fatal shot.
A second suspect, 21-year-old Kevin Guerra from East Elmhurst, was taken into custody on August 7, 2020. His arrest came as he was entering a bodega, reportedly distracted by his phone. Guerra faced charges of murder, criminal use of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon. Both men were remanded without bail, facing the prospect of spending 25 years to life in prison if convicted, as the Queens community sought justice for the loss of Dante Sartillian.
