BRONX JURY CONVICTS MAN FROM PUERTO RICO OF MURDERING THREE MEMBERS OF THE SAME FAMILY

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that Jose Cosme Pizarro, 42, of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, has been convicted of multiple counts of murder in the deaths of three members of the same family. The victims were shot and stabbed at two separate locations in March 2000.

Co-defendant Garcia, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced last month to a term of life imprisonment without parole for his role in these murders, which included two other family members, Evelyn Ortiz-Santos, 39 and Ismael Santos, 14.

Pizarro, was found guilty of four counts of Murder in the 2nd degree for his role in the deaths of Denise Santos, 30, Eduardo Santos, 34, and Irvin Aguilar, 33. The multiple counts of Murder in the 2nd degree involve two different legal theories of intentional murder and murder during the commission of a felony.

Pizzaro, who faces a maximum sentence of 75 years to life, was convicted after thirteen days of deliberations following a two-month trial.

District Attorney Johnson said: "These convictions give the court adequate scope to insure that Pizarro remains in jail for the rest of his life."

The murders occurred on March 2, 2000 beginning with the deaths of Eduardo Santos, and Irvin Aguilar, at 2975 White Plains Road. Eduardo Santos was shot once in the head and Aguilar was shot twice in the head, once in the heart and also stabbed numerous times.

Pizarro and his accomplice Luis Garcia, 45, of Miami, fled after robbing the victims of jewelry and an undisclosed amount of cash. The knife that was used to stab Aguilar was left in his neck. The next victim, Denise Santos, the sister of Eduardo Santos and wife of Irvin Aguilar, was stabbed numerous times a short time later at 2934 Radcliff Avenue where a safe and some jewelry were removed. The body of Denise Santos was also discovered with a knife still in her neck.

Pizarro and co-defendant Garcia were arrested two days later in Kendall, Florida, a suburb of Miami. Police recovered the victims’ stolen possessions as well as the murder weapon, a 9MM Sigsauer semi-automatic pistol. The gun had been cut into more than five-dozen pieces.

Assistant District Attorney’s William Flack, Jeremy Shockett and Peter Coddington prosecuted both cases.