FORDHAM — An 18-year-old Bronx man gunned down last week was the victim of a Bloods/Crips feud, authorities said.
Jonathan Martinez was chased down Valentine Avenue at East 194th Street and shot several times by a 16-year-old Crips gang member Divonte "Truck" Hernandez, who prosecutors said admitted committing the crime to police.
"Golden gave me and Tot the guns to shoot the kid in the multi-colored jacket because that kid was a Blood who had done some pistol whipping [sic] earlier in the week against us (Crypts) [sic]," Hernandez is quoted in the criminal complaint. "I took the silver revolver and shot the kid in the multi-colored jacket."
An officer on foot patrol Friday night saw Hernandez take out a silver revolver and shoot at Martinez several times, after which he and his partner chased after Hernandez and a man in a red hooded sweatshirt who got away, according to the criminal complaint.
Emergency responders took Martinez to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Hernandez and Harry "Golden" Mingo, 24, have both been accused of murder in the March 13 shooting of Martinez, police said.
Officers nabbed Hernandez while he was running toward Mingo, and he told them that the shots were retaliation for an earlier attack from the Bloods, prosecutors said.
The person Hernandez referred to as Tot fired shots as well, but he got away, according to the Bronx DA.
Officers also arrested Sirena Morgan, 33, who has been charged her with criminal possession of a weapon after police found the revolver used to shoot Martinez in her purse, along with a black semi-automatic pistol, according to the criminal complaint.
Mingo had told Hernandez to put the gun in Morgan's bag, the DA said.
Morgan, Mingo and Hernandez have all been arraigned and ordered held without bail, according to the Bronx District Attorney's Office. They are due back in court on March 19.
The lawyers for Morgan and Mingo did not respond to requests for comment. Hernandez's lawyer Stacey Richman declined to discuss the charges against her client but described Martinez's death as "a tragedy for the community."
