In the fall of 2017, a robbery spiraled into a violent double murder inside a Syracuse, New York apartment, leaving 39-year-old Jose Jimmy Osvaldo Castro dead. The plot to rob Castro was reportedly orchestrated by three individuals: Rene DeJesus, Arturo Resto Figueroa, and Brian Montanez. Their plan involved an ambush, with DeJesus hiding inside a closet in an Avery Avenue apartment, waiting for the opportune moment to strike and steal money and drugs from Castro.
The planned robbery
took a deadly turn on September 25, 2017. When Castro entered the apartment, DeJesus sprang from his hiding spot, armed with a gun. In the ensuing confrontation, DeJesus fired his weapon 25 times. The barrage of bullets proved fatal for both Jose Castro and one of the accomplices, 31-year-old Arturo Resto Figueroa. The brutal nature of the crime was not immediately discovered; the bodies of the two men were found inside the apartment days later.
The investigation into the double homicide led Syracuse Police to the surviving conspirators. Brian Montanez, who was involved in the planning of the robbery, was subsequently arrested and faced murder charges for his role in the fatal events. The triggerman, Rene DeJesus, was ultimately sentenced to a term of 25 years to life in prison for two counts of murder. He also received additional sentences for attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon, which are being served concurrently.
