On a tragic afternoon in the Bronx, a young man's life was cut short in a hail of bullets. Twenty-two-year-old Jose Velez was fatally shot in the chest on June 19, 2018, while sitting in his car at the intersection of Van Nest Avenue and Unionport Road. The brazen attack, which unfolded in broad daylight, was witnessed by his girlfriend who was in the passenger seat.
The incident began when a former friend and roommate, Thomas Bowles, approached Velez's vehicle and started an argument.
Shortly after, Bowles's brother, Michael Rodriguez, arrived at the scene and fired the fatal shot into Velez's chest. Despite being gravely wounded, Velez attempted to drive away from the assailants, but crashed into several parked cars before coming to a stop. He was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation that followed led to the apprehension of both brothers. Thomas Bowles was located in South Carolina and extradited back to New York to face murder charges. Michael Rodriguez, the alleged shooter, went on the run for nearly three months before being captured by the NYPD Warrant Squad. Both brothers were subsequently charged with murder and held without bail.
During the legal proceedings, it was revealed that the shooting was a premeditated act. Prosecutors argued that Bowles had intentionally lured his former friend to the location where Rodriguez was waiting to carry out the attack. The victim's girlfriend, who witnessed the entire ordeal, faced threats on social media in an attempt to silence her. Despite the intimidation, she and Velez's family remained steadfast in their pursuit of justice, attending court hearings and actively sharing information about the suspects online. The evidence presented, including witness testimony, ultimately led to the conviction of both Thomas Bowles and Michael Rodriguez for the murder of Jose Velez.
