On a summer morning in Brooklyn, 35-year-old Kenneth Singleton, a local clothing designer and graffiti artist, was diligently washing his car in front of his home on Milford Street in East New York. It was just after 11 a.m. on June 20, 2020, when the ordinary weekend task turned into a scene of sudden violence. An assailant approached Singleton from behind and shot him multiple times at point-blank range before fleeing the scene on foot.
Officers from the 75th Precinct arrived to find Singleton on the ground next to his car with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel rushed him to Brookdale University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators found no shell casings at the scene, leading them to believe the weapon used was a revolver.
The investigation into the murder of Kenneth Singleton, who was also known by his graffiti tag 'Foot 4 Mayor,' led authorities to a suspect who was allegedly involved in other violent crimes. In September 2020, Charles Hernandez, a 47-year-old man from East New York, was indicted for Singleton's murder. The indictment also included charges for the murders of Stephanie Perkins, 39, and Chioke Thompson, 23, who were killed in a separate incident on June 27, 2020. Authorities alleged that Hernandez had engaged in a 'murderous crime spree,' brazenly killing three people in broad daylight over the course of a week. Hernandez was apprehended on July 9, 2020, in West Virginia by the Regional Fugitive Task Force. Another individual, Liza Jenkins, was later charged with hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence for allegedly helping Hernandez dispose of the clothing he wore during Singleton's murder.
Charles Hernandez was arraigned on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and criminal possession of a weapon. Following a jury trial, he was convicted in May 2025 of one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and other related charges. Subsequently, Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Liza Jenkins was also convicted for her role in assisting Hernandez. The motive for the attacks was believed to be related to an ongoing dispute the defendant had with a man to whom each of the victims had a connection.
