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Bushwick Murder Connected to Williamsburg Stabbing, Police Say

By Serena Dai | May 21, 2015 8:28am
 Police are close to making an arrest, they said Wednesday.
Bushwick Murder Connected to Williamsburg Stabbing, Police Say
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BUSHWICK — Police believe they are close to making an arrest in the fatal shooting of a 39-year-old Bushwick father on Monday night — partly due to a connection with Williamsburg's stabbing on Tuesday, police said.

Inspector Maximo Tolentino, commanding officer of Bushwick's 83rd precinct, told residents Wednesday that officials are close to determining who shot Dennis Sanchez in the eye on Monday night on Park Street, near Beaver Street.

Tolentino said police believe individuals were arguing about "several baby mommas" on Monday about 6:30 p.m. when Sanchez walked in their direction.

The dispute escalated, and one of the people in the argument shot Sanchez "point blank" in the face, Tolentino told Community Board 4 on Wednesday. Sanchez, a beloved local and father of four, later died at Elmhurst Hospital.

More than 100 candles are set up at the site of his death as a memorial, which also included dozens of notes and words of support.

But officials are close to determining the culprit — partly due to a video of the incident and a "definite" connection to Williamsburg's fatal stabbing of a 20-year-old man, Tolentino said.

On Tuesday around 12:20 p.m., John Reyes, 20, was found on the Scholes Street near Humboldt Street with multiple stab wounds to his stomach, police said.

One of the individuals involved in the stabbing might have also been present at Monday's murder scene, according to a video of the shooting, Tolentino said.

"There’s definitely a connection with that incident [the shooting] and the incident [the stabbing] in the 90th precinct," he said.

He did not say what the connection between the two incidents was.

While they do not have the shooter in custody, another person who was at the scene of Monday's crime is in custody, Tolentino said.

In addition to investigating both incidents and working with Williamsburg's 90th precinct, Tolentino is increasing police presence in the area Sanchez was shot.

The resources will hopefully prevent "any type of retaliation," Tolentino said.

"The investigation is moving very rapidly," he said. "Within the next coming days, I hope to have our second homicide of the year resolved."