In the early morning hours of June 10, 2023, a tragedy unfolded outside a deli in the Bronx that cut short the life of 42-year-old Erasmo Pujols, a Hispanic male. At approximately 4:45 a.m., Pujols was standing outside the University Deli on University Avenue in the Morris Heights neighborhood when he was approached by an assailant. The quiet of the morning was shattered by the sound of multiple gunshots. The individual who confronted Pujols fired several times before quickly fleeing the scene.
Responding officers arrived to a grim scene, finding Pujols with gunshot wounds to his torso and right arm. A bystander who had been inside the deli at the time of the shooting recounted hearing the shots and emerging to find the victim on the ground. According to this witness, Pujols's last words were a plea for help, expressing his will to live. He was rushed by emergency medical services to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead. Pujols lived just three blocks from where his life was taken.
The New York City Police Department launched an investigation into the homicide. Authorities released surveillance images of a suspect, described as a Black male with a medium-dark complexion and a goatee, standing between 5'6' and 5'7' tall and weighing approximately 185 to 190 pounds. He was last seen wearing a distinctive multicolored hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants, and white clogs. Despite the circulation of his image and calls for public assistance, no arrests have been made in the case. The investigation into the death of Erasmo Pujols remains ongoing as police continue to seek information that may lead to the apprehension of the individual responsible for his death.
