TWENTY TWO YEAR OLD PAROLEE CONVICTED OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A 67 YEAR OLD RETIRED NEW YORK CITY EMPLOYEE

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 22 year old Bronx man has been convicted of murder in the death of a 67 year old man and attempted robbery for an unrelated and unsuccessful car jack attempt only thirty minutes before the fatal shooting.

Michael Mitchell, of 619 Casanova Street, the Bronx, was found guilty of one count of Murder in the first degree and one count of Attempted Robbery in the first degree after a three week trial followed by nine days of deliberations.

Acting State Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus set sentencing for Thursday, October 30, 2003 in Part T13. Mitchell is facing a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The defendant, at the time of the murder, was on parole in connection with a robbery conviction in Manhattan.

Saulius Remeza, 67, was shot twice in the head and once in the chest on March 12, 2001 at a New York City Department of Sanitation Depot that is located on the same block as the defendant’s residence in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. Mitchell accosted the victim and opened fire before taking the older man’s cell phone, car keys and car. Remeza was a retired engineer with the City of New York who, at the time of his death, was working as a consultant on a construction project at the sanitation depot.

Mitchell was also convicted of an attempted car-jacking about half an hour before the murder. That incident occurred a short distance away in front of a school at 732 Longfellow Avenue. The victim, Erwin Campoverde, was a nineteen year old senior at the time. Campoverde testified that he was sitting in his father’s minivan waiting for a friend when Mitchell ordered him at gunpoint to get out of the vehicle or be killed. As Mitchell attempted to pull open the door, Campoverde started the engine and drove away.

Mitchell was arrested two days after the mini crime spree when detectives traced his whereabouts by using the murder victim’s telephone records. Investigators traced calls made to an address in Brooklyn. While canvassing the area near the Brooklyn address, detectives located Remeza’s car and waited for the defendant to return to the vehicle. He was arrested with the car keys and cellular telephone in his possession.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Daniel McCarthy, Chief Trial Counsel and Director of Trial Training.