(photo by Maurício Mascaro via Pexels)Police have arrested and charged three men with robbery and murder in connection with a series of attacks which began at Manhattan gay bars and resulted in the deaths of two men.
NEW: Three men have been arrested and charged in connection with a string of druggings, robberies and murders at NYC gay bars. One man has been charged with the murder of Julio Ramirez, and more suspects remain at large. Via @NYTMetro https://t.co/sk7bNutgLt
— Liam Stack (@liamstack) April 3, 2023
From the New York Times:
Justin Barroso, 30, and Robert DeMaio, 34, were charged with the murder of Julio Ramirez, a 25-year-old social worker. Mr. DeMaio was additionally charged with the murder of John Umberger, a 33-year-old political consultant. Both men were drugged at bars in Hell’s Kitchen, then were robbed using facial recognition technology on their phones and left for dead.
A third man, Andre Butts, was charged with robbery, identity theft, grand larceny and conspiracy, all charges that Mr. Barroso and Mr. DeMaio also face. A fourth man, Shane Hoskins, was also charged last week with robbery in connection with the cases.
Police say another suspect, Jayqwan Hamilton, remains at large.
The indictment against the men also mentions three other victims of the suspects not previously reported.
The mother of one victim told police $20,000 had been drained from his bank account after he was drugged.
Three Suspects Identified in Connection with Deadly Druggings at Gay Bars
Law enforcement officials have identified three suspects believed to be behind more than a dozen incidents involving the drugging and robbery of patrons leaving Manhattan gay bars.https://t.co/f0RFyf024Y— Amanda Vos (@AmandaVos7) April 2, 2023