In the morning hours of a Wednesday in East Harlem, the life of 34-year-old Akebulon Reeves, a male resident of Harlem, was brought to a violent and abrupt end. On September 13, 2023, at approximately 10:03 a.m., Reeves was standing with a group of people in front of an apartment building at 206 East 119th Street when tragedy struck. Two individuals, later identified as Xavier Baez and William Cartagena, arrived at the scene on a black motorized scooter.
In a brazen attack, Cartagena
dismounted the scooter, approached the group, and fired several shots at Reeves, striking him multiple times in the torso. The assailants then quickly fled the scene on the scooter, heading towards northern Central Park. Emergency services were called, and Reeves was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a masked shooter open fire before escaping on the back of the scooter. One local resident even administered first aid to Reeves before paramedics arrived.
The investigation into the shooting, which was believed to be a planned hit, led to the arrests of Xavier Baez, 23, and William Cartagena, 19, both from the Bronx, on September 20, 2023. They were subsequently charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. The case proceeded through the justice system, and in September 2025, both men pleaded guilty to their involvement in the death of Akebulon Reeves.
Xavier Baez pleaded guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree on September 16, 2025, and received a sentence of 16 years in state prison. The following day, William Cartagena pleaded guilty to one count of Murder in the Second Degree and was sentenced to 22 years to life in state prison. The resolution of the case brought a measure of justice for a loving father whose life was tragically cut short in a sudden act of gun violence.
