On a September morning in the Bronx, Marcelino Valerio, an 80-year-old man, was fatally shot in the head as he and his wife were returning to their apartment on Ogden Avenue. The couple had just come home from a family party. The initial moments after the shooting were filled with confusion and grief for his family, who at first believed the attack to be a senseless, random act of violence.
The perpetrator, who was dressed in black and riding an electric bike, had approached Valerio and fired before quickly fleeing the scene. Police officers on patrol nearby heard the gunshot and rushed to the scene, but Valerio could not be saved.
The family was devastated by the sudden and violent loss. In the days following the shooting, they spoke out, expressing their shock and agony, stating that Valerio was a happy man who had no known enemies. Surveillance footage from the area showed the suspect riding around prior to the attack, seemingly waiting. This led investigators to question the initial theory of a random shooting and to look more closely at those with connections to the victim. The New York Police Department began an investigation into the death of the Mount Eden resident.
The investigation took a significant turn when authorities identified a suspect. It was not a stranger, but a member of his own family: his stepson, Melvin Java. Investigators alleged that Java had planned the execution-style murder, donning a ski mask and lying in wait for his stepfather. In a chilling detail, it was reported that after the shooting, Java returned to the family home and mourned with his grieving relatives. Following an extensive investigation, U.S. Marshals tracked Java to Reading, Pennsylvania, where he was arrested without incident. He was subsequently extradited to New York to face charges of murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.
