On a Tuesday morning in the fall of 2015, Michael Matusiak, a 53-year-old man, went to his new job at a sheet metal shop in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, a job he had just started the day before. Shortly before 8 a.m., his life was tragically cut short when he confronted a man breaking into cars on Grattan Street and Knickerbocker Avenue.
Matusiak, a father and grandfather known in his neighborhood as a helpful handyman, did not hesitate to intervene when he saw the illegal activity.
What began as a trio of car burglars ransacking vehicles, including a white minivan belonging to one of Matusiak's coworkers, quickly escalated into a violent confrontation. Matusiak and a colleague, Derrick Robinson, chased after the men. One of the thieves, later identified as 22-year-old Bryan Aponte of Bushwick, turned and opened fire. Matusiak was struck in the torso and died at the scene. His coworker, Robinson, was grazed by bullets to his torso and ear. The gunfire also struck a 13-year-old girl who was on her way to school, hitting her in the hip.
In the wake of the shooting, a makeshift memorial marked the spot where Matusiak fell. Friends and family remembered him as a kind man who was always willing to help others. He had two adult daughters and grandchildren and was known by the nickname 'Mush' to his childhood friends. He had recently lost a previous job and was looking forward to this new opportunity.
Three weeks after the fatal shooting, Bryan Aponte was arrested at his grandparents' home in East New York after they informed the police that he intended to surrender. In August 2017, Aponte was convicted of second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. He was subsequently sentenced to 33 years to life in prison. During the sentencing, it was revealed that the teenage victim would carry the bullet in her hip for the rest of her life. Matusiak's brother-in-law spoke of the family's profound loss, remembering a man who was always ready to lend a hand to his neighbors.
