In the late morning of a summer day in Niagara Falls, New York, the life of 44-year-old Gregorey Funk Vincent, a male resident of the city, was brought to a violent and abrupt end. On June 19, 2023, just after 11 a.m., police responded to reports of a person shot in the 2000 block of 18th Street. There they found Vincent suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was quickly transported to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified a person of interest, Juan J. Ubiles. The incident, which unfolded in broad daylight, was captured by surveillance cameras at a nearby convenience store. The footage showed Ubiles interacting with Vincent before the situation escalated dramatically. As Vincent attempted to flee, Ubiles was seen drawing a firearm and opening fire. After the shooting, Ubiles fled the scene, sparking a manhunt that involved both the Niagara Falls Police Department and the U.S. Marshals.
For nearly three months, Ubiles remained a fugitive. The search for him extended beyond New York, and he was eventually located and apprehended in Philadelphia. Following his capture, he was extradited back to Niagara County to face charges for Vincent's death. The legal proceedings that followed painted a picture of a long-standing conflict between the two men. During his trial, Ubiles testified about a fraught history with Vincent that he claimed stretched back over a decade and involved violent altercations and personal disputes.
Despite his testimony, the evidence against Ubiles, particularly the stark and undeniable surveillance footage, was compelling. In May 2025, a Niagara County jury deliberated for just 55 minutes before finding Juan Ubiles guilty of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Subsequently, he was sentenced to the maximum penalty of 40 years to life in state prison, bringing a measure of closure to the family of Gregorey Vincent.
