BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR USING COP’S GUN TO SLAY GOOD SAMARITAN DURING BODEGA ROBBERY

Also Charged with Attempted Murder of Police Officers; Fired All 15 Rounds from Weapon He Grabbed from Cop’s Holster 

   Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a 30-year-old Bronx man has been indicted on murder and a dozen other charges for stealing a cop’s gun and fatally shooting a man during a bodega robbery. 

   District Attorney Clark said, “This defendant allegedly assaulted and tried to rob a bodega worker, then grabbed a responding police officer’s service weapon and fired, killing Waly Camara, a hardworking immigrant who had rushed to help. 

   “We are fortunate that no one else was shot when the defendant allegedly kept on firing the pistol inside the store and out the doorway, forcing people to run for cover. His total disregard for human life is appalling.” 

  District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Efrain Guzman, 30, of 20 Richman Plaza in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx, has been indicted on first-degree Murder, first degree Attempted Murder, second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter, second-degree Attempted Murder, first-degree Assault, second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, second-degree Assault, second-degree Attempted Robbery, third-degree Robbery, Menacing a Police Officer or Peace Officer, first-degree reckless Endangerment and Resisting Arrest. 

   Guzman was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Eugene Oliver and is due back in court on November 28. If convicted, he faces life in prison. 

   According to the investigation, on August 9, 2016, Guzman entered N&A Foods on East 198th Street in Fordham and begged for money. Camara, a worker there, threw him out. Guzman then went across to A&M Deli on East 198th Street and Valentine Avenue, where he demanded money and tried to get behind the counter. 

   He assaulted the worker and fought with other workers, and Camara came to help them. Police Officers Jorge Monge and Sean Kern responded and broke up the fight and as they were escorting Guzman out of the store, he took the gun out of Monge’s holster and began firing. 

   Guzman allegedly shot Camara in the leg. He died at St. Barnabas Hospital from a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Kern returned fire and struck Guzman. As he lay on the floor, Guzman allegedly fired at the cops and store workers until the gun ran out of rounds. 

  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Orville Reynolds of the Homicide Bureau and Natasha Major of the Public Integrity Bureau, under the supervision of Christine Scaccia, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and the overall supervision of Nicole Keary, Deputy Chief of the Trial Division and Jeremy Shockett, Chief of the Trial Division. 

 An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.