Fernando Gonzalez Chavez, a 39-year-old man of Salvadoran descent, found his life tragically cut short in the early hours of May 31, 2017. A resident of Bayside, Queens, he was standing outside a Flushing deli on 162nd Street when he was fatally shot. The single gunshot wound to his chest proved fatal, piercing a lung and ending his life at the scene.
A father who worked in construction, Gonzalez Chavez had celebrated his 39th birthday just a couple of months prior.
The investigation into the senseless act of violence led to the arrests of two suspects, Roberto Abrego, then 23, and Jose Alvarenga, 27, both residents of Hempstead. The Queens District Attorney's office announced that the two men were charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. It was reported that both Abrego and Alvarenga may have had connections to the notorious MS-13 gang. Surveillance footage from the area showed the two men allegedly working together in the moments leading up to the deadly encounter.
In a significant development in the pursuit of justice for Fernando Gonzalez Chavez, Jose 'Smoker' Alvarenga was convicted in November 2019. The jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. During the trial, it was suggested that Gonzalez-Chavez had previously been associated with the MS-13 gang but was no longer an active member. Testimonies revealed that Alvarenga had approached Gonzalez-Chavez as he was against a wall and fired the fatal shot. After a swift deliberation of only three hours, the jury returned with a guilty verdict, and Alvarenga faced the possibility of a life sentence behind bars.
