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Man Convicted of Fatally Stabbing Uptown Bouncer Sentenced to Prison

By DNAinfo Staff on February 16, 2012 8:59am

Arsene Epouta was murdered in front of La Casa Del Mofongo in October 2009.
Arsene Epouta was murdered in front of La Casa Del Mofongo in October 2009.
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Manhattan District Attorney's Office

MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — A man convicted of stabbing a Washington Heights bouncer to death was sentenced to 23 years to life in prison Wednesday.

Jonathan Gonzales-Alvarez was convicted of second-degree murder and gang assault last month for fatally slashing Arsene Epouta, 40, an unarmed bouncer and father of two who was working a shift at La Casa Del Mofongo on St. Nicholas Avenue on Oct. 27, 2009.

Gonzales-Alvarez repeatedly stabbed Epouta while another man, who was charged separately, allegedly held the victim steady.

Tanya Means, Epouta's partner and the mother of one of his sons, teared up as she read a statement to the court before Gonzales-Alvarez was ordered to prison. She said she never wanted her children to be fatherless since she and Epouta grew up without dads.

"That cycle continued," she said.

"Our sons became fatherless, lost their father figure, their nurturer, their provider, their dad," Means said, referring to Jalain, 3, and Epouta's other child, Alain, 9.

"Never in my worst nightmares would I have thought I would become a single mother."

Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Levinson described the crime against the unarmed security guard as completely irrational and indicative of Gonzales-Alvarez's character.

"[Gonzales-Alvarez] was just asked to calm [down] because he was disrupting people from having a good time at the club, and he just came and attacked the victim," Levinson said.

"He did this because he could and for no other reason, which is very frightening."

Gonzales-Alvarez made a brief statement through a Spanish interpreter and said he's "sorry for what happened."

"It hurts me a lot," he said.

"If you could forgive me, I want you to give me an opportunity," he said. 

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Ruth Picholz denied the killer's plea for leniency, calling his crime "senseless" and "unspeakable."

Manslaughter charges are still pending against Gonzales-Alvarez's alleged accomplice, Luis Almanzar, 23.