On a late winter's evening in Bridgeport, Connecticut, a 36-year-old Asian man named JiaBin Lin was diligently working his job as a food delivery driver. Originally from Flushing, New York, Lin was employed by the Yummy Yummy Chinese Restaurant on Boston Avenue. On the night of March 4, 2023, he set out to make what would tragically be his final delivery. In the vicinity of Boston and Palisade Avenues, a violent encounter cut his life short.
He was shot multiple times in the back during what authorities would later describe as a robbery attempt.
Police officers were drawn to the area by a notification from the city's gunshot detection system. Upon their arrival, they discovered a somber scene in a driveway on Boston Avenue. Lin was found lying face down on the ground, his vehicle's engine still running nearby. The food order he had been dispatched to deliver was scattered beside him. Despite the prompt response, there was nothing that could be done; JiaBin Lin was pronounced dead at the scene. He had no known family in the United States, and authorities later notified his next of kin in his native China.
The investigation into the senseless killing quickly led to two young suspects. The first to be apprehended was 17-year-old Justin Castro. During his arrest, Castro attempted to flee from the police and discarded a handgun, which was later recovered by the officers. He faced a host of serious charges, including felony murder, attempted first-degree robbery, and carrying a pistol without a permit. A judge ordered that he be tried as an adult, and he was held on a three-million-dollar bond.
Later in March, the police made a second arrest. The other individual implicated in the crime was a 14-year-old boy. Due to his age, his identity was not publicly released. He was charged with felony murder and criminal attempt at first-degree robbery and was held at a juvenile detention center on a one-million-dollar bond. In March of 2025, Justin Castro, then 19, pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm, bringing a degree of legal closure to the case.
