On a Thursday afternoon in the Bronx, 43-year-old Victor Chafla, a hardworking father of seven, was diligently stocking fruits and vegetables outside the VZ Deli Grocery on Morrison Avenue. This ordinary task on March 26, 2015, was violently interrupted when a stray bullet struck him in the head. Chafla was not the intended target of the gunfire. He was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center in critical condition and, after fighting for his life for several days, succumbed to his injuries on March 31,
2015. His wife and six of his children were in his native Ecuador at the time of this senseless tragedy.
The investigation into Chafla's death revealed a grim reality of gang violence. The shot that killed the innocent bystander was fired during a dispute between rival gangs. Surveillance footage captured the moment a man raised a handgun in the middle of a nearby intersection and fired down the street before quickly departing with another individual. Initially, one man was arrested, but the charges were ultimately voided. The New York Police Department sought two suspects, one in dark clothing and the other in a grey hoodie and pants.
The investigation eventually led to the identification of Richard Feliz, also known as 'Dirt,' a member of the 'Rollin' 30s Crips' street gang, as the shooter. Feliz was pursuing a rival gang member when he fired multiple shots, one of which tragically struck Chafla. In September 2017, a superseding indictment charged Feliz and other members of the gang with a host of crimes, including the murder of Victor Chafla. Walston Owen, a leader in the gang, was also implicated in ordering the shooting.
In August 2019, Richard Feliz was sentenced to 27 years in prison for the murder of Victor Chafla after pleading guilty to narcotics and firearms offenses. During the sentencing, one of Chafla's daughters gave a victim's impact statement, speaking of the immense pain her family endured. Subsequently, in February 2020, a jury found other members of the 'Rollin' 30s' gang guilty of racketeering conspiracy, with Walston Owen's involvement specifically including the murder of Victor Chafla. Following a trial, Owen was sentenced to a term of 475 months' imprisonment for his role in the gang's violent activities, including the death of the innocent bodega worker.
