On a tragic day in New Britain, Connecticut, a 26-year-old male named San Chiu Wong lost his life. The date was March 17, 1997, and Mr. Wong was at his Chinese restaurant when a robbery turned fatal. He was shot to death by one of the perpetrators who, according to witness testimony, wanted to ensure there were no witnesses to the crime. For a time, the case remained unsolved, another cold case in the files of the New Britain Police Department.
Years later, a break in the case came
through the dedicated work of the Cold Case Unit. Their investigation led them to two suspects: Gino Gentile and Edgar DeJesus. It was determined that Gentile was the one who fired the fatal shot, while DeJesus served as the getaway driver for the robbery. The investigation uncovered a crucial piece of evidence when firearms experts from the Connecticut State Police Forensic Laboratory conclusively linked the handgun used in the New Britain homicide to two other homicides in Patterson, New Jersey, for which Gentile was already serving a 40-year prison sentence.
Ultimately, both men were held accountable for their roles in the death of San Chiu Wong. Gino Gentile was convicted of Murder, Robbery in the First Degree, and Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the First Degree, receiving a 100-year prison sentence. Edgar DeJesus pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the Second Degree and was sentenced to 19 years in prison in April 2002. The resolution of the case brought a long-awaited sense of justice for the senseless murder of a young business owner.
