In the Bronx, a 26-year-old male named Ali Flores was killed on the evening of Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. inside the St. Mary's Park Houses on Westchester Avenue in the Melrose section of the borough. Initial responding officers from the 40th Precinct found Flores with a gunshot wound to his neck in a hallway of the building.
Emergency medical services transported him to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, where he was pronounced deceased.
The investigation into the homicide led police to focus on a robbery motive. It was determined that Flores had been lured to the location by individuals who intended to rob him of marijuana and cash. During a struggle that ensued as part of the robbery, Flores was shot. The assailants then reportedly fled with his property to another apartment within the same building. The entire incident was captured on video surveillance.
Initially, seven individuals were taken into custody for questioning. The investigation ultimately led to the arrests of two suspects on Thursday, October 17, 2024. The individuals taken into custody were identified as 25-year-old Francisco Deleon and a 15-year-old male whose name was not released due to his age. Both suspects were subsequently indicted on a range of serious charges.
Both Deleon and the teenage suspect face charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree robbery, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Deleon was arraigned on November 14, 2024, and the 15-year-old was arraigned in Youth Part of the court on November 7, 2024. Both were remanded into custody and are scheduled to return to court in February 2025. The case is being prosecuted by the Bronx District Attorney's Homicide Bureau.
