In the Northeast Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Gateway, a fatal encounter unfolded on the afternoon of September 22, 2022. Bacilio Villatoro, a 57-year-old male landscaper from Silver Spring, Maryland, was at his job site in the 3000 block of Adams Street NE when the tragic events transpired. Around 12:41 p.m., Villatoro and his colleagues noticed a man tampering with their tree-trimming truck.
When they confronted him, a physical altercation began.
The man, later identified as Jamari Payne, retreated to his own vehicle and retrieved a handgun. As Villatoro and his coworkers saw the weapon, they turned and ran for safety. Payne, however, opened fire, firing multiple shots in their direction. One of the bullets struck Villatoro in the back, and he collapsed in a nearby alley. Emergency services were called to the scene, but they found no signs of life, and he was pronounced dead. The gunman fled the scene in what was described as a black Chevrolet Impala.
The Metropolitan Police Department launched an investigation into the homicide. Using surveillance footage and a tip from an individual who recognized the gunman, authorities identified 21-year-old Jamari Payne as the suspect. A D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant was issued, and on December 23, 2022, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Payne in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was held there before being extradited back to Washington, D.C., on August 15, 2023, to face charges.
Payne was charged with second-degree murder while armed. In court, it was revealed that Payne had fired four times. He pleaded guilty to the charge on January 5, 2024, as part of a plea agreement that also included a guilty plea for a separate robbery. During the sentencing hearing, one of Villatoro's sons spoke of his father as a hardworking man who always encouraged his family to do good. Payne expressed remorse, stating, 'I ended someone's life and my own life that day.' He was ultimately sentenced to 16 and a half years of incarceration, with all but 14 years suspended. Villatoro, who had come to the United States from El Salvador in the 1980s, was remembered by his family as a quiet person who died while doing his job. He is survived by his wife and a grown daughter in El Salvador and two adult sons.
