In the early morning hours of a Saturday in October 2014, the life of 22-year-old Rose G. Ortiz was tragically cut short in Rome, New York. Gunshots erupted outside of Bucky's Restaurant, and when police arrived shortly after 2:00 a.m., they discovered a chaotic scene with a large crowd gathered and Ortiz suffering from gunshot wounds. She was rushed to a Utica hospital but was pronounced dead.
Investigators quickly determined that the young woman was not the intended target of the
shooting. Police officials stated they believed Ortiz was an innocent bystander who was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite numerous witnesses present at the scene, the initial investigation was hampered by a lack of cooperation.
Six months after the fatal shooting, law enforcement announced a significant development in the case. A Utica man, Darnell Howard, who was on New York State Parole at the time, was arrested and charged in connection with the death of Rose G. Ortiz. Howard had a prior criminal record, having previously been sentenced to six years in prison for assaulting a Utica police officer in 2008.
Following his arrest, Darnell Howard was charged with second-degree murder and reckless endangerment. He was subsequently found guilty of these charges in a court of law. In December 2015, Howard received the maximum sentence for his crimes and was ordered to serve 25 years to life in prison for the senseless killing of Rose G. Ortiz.
