In the early morning hours of Monday, February 5, 2018, a quiet street in the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx was shattered by violence. George Carrasquillo, a 45-year-old male who had recently moved to the area from Hunts Point, was fatally shot while sitting in his grey 2017 Ford Explorer on Hone Avenue. The attack, which occurred shortly before 5:30 a.m., was described by authorities as more of an assassination stemming from a personal matter rather than a random act of violence.
The shooter, who appeared to have been waiting for Carrasquillo, fired a. 40-caliber pistol at least six times, leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The brazen nature of the shooting in a community unaccustomed to such events caused concern among residents and local leaders. However, the New York Police Department's 49th Precinct, which led the investigation, quickly assured the public that the murder was an isolated incident and not related to gang activity. The investigation progressed efficiently, with police gathering evidence from the scene.
Less than two weeks after the deadly shooting, a significant break in the case occurred. On February 17, 2018, two men turned themselves in to the 49th Precinct. The suspects were identified as Nelson Lopez and Joselin Espada, who was George Carrasquillo's own cousin. Both men were subsequently arrested and charged with murder. Investigators believe that Espada was the gunman and that the motive for the killing was an ongoing verbal dispute that had taken place between the cousins earlier on the same day as the shooting.
