Javier Sanchez, a 33-year-old Hispanic man, had moved to the United States from Ecuador about a year before his death, seeking a better life for his family. He worked in construction and as an Uber driver in Brooklyn, sending money home to support his young daughter. His relatives described him as a hardworking and dedicated father, a good cousin, and a good friend who had dreams he was not able to make come true.
He lived with several family members in a Bushwick apartment, just a short walk from where his life was taken.
In the early morning of September 3, 2023, Sanchez was on his way home from a party. At around 4 a.m., as he passed a BP gas station at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Grove Street, a group of people confronted him and tried to rob him. Sources said the robbers were after his backpack, which contained his personal documents. Sanchez resisted, and a physical struggle began. During the altercation, he was knocked to the ground. He got back up, but one of the assailants pulled out a gun and shot him in the head.
The attackers fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Medics rushed Sanchez to Elmhurst Hospital, but he could not be saved and was pronounced dead. His family was left devastated, facing the challenge of raising funds to send his body back to Ecuador for burial.
The New York Police Department began an investigation that led to its first arrest on September 12, when a 17-year-old male was taken into custody. His name was not released due to his age, but he was charged with murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon. On October 11, 2023, police arrested a second suspect, 29-year-old Ezequiel Delamerced. He was also charged with murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon.
As of October 2023, the case was still active. Police announced they were still searching for two other people wanted in connection with the homicide: 23-year-old Gonzalo Martinez and 19-year-old Sherlin Licurgo Espinoza. Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
