JURY CONVICTS A MANHATTAN MAN ON MURDER, ROBBERY AND OTHER RELATED CHARGES

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 30 year-old Manhattan man has been convicted of murder, robbery and other related charges for the shooting deaths of two young men in November 2001.

A jury found Remulo Cepada aka "Gordo", of 65 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, guilty of 2 counts of Murder in the 2nd degree, 1 count of Robbery in the 1st degree, 1 count of Reckless endangerment in the 1st degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the 3rd degree and Unauthorized use of a vehicle in the 3rd degree.

Cepada, a predicate felon, faces a maximum term of up to 82 years to life imprisonment when he appears before Acting State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Farber for sentencing on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 in Part T23.

Cepada gunned down his victims with a 22 caliber weapon as they drove along the service road of the Henry Hudson Parkway in a gold colored Camry on November 4, 2001. The defendant, a passenger riding in the back seat of the Camry, shot Jose Rosario, 22, and Luis Amadore, 20, in the head.

The jury heard testimony from three witnesses who were riding in a car directly behind the victim's vehicle which swerved out of control and crashed into a driveway on Graystone Avenue. Panagiotis Korkatzis, 20, testified that he was getting out of the second car, a Honda, to assist the crash victims, when the defendant jumped out the back seat of the first car and approached the driver of the Honda, Eric Kovacs, 20. Kovacs testified that Cepada ordered him out of the vehicle at gunpoint. Cepada jumped into the Honda as the two friends, Kovacs and Korkatzis, fled. Once inside of the Honda, Cepada noticed Alexia Augoustatos, 23, in the back seat and ordered her out of the car also.

Unable to drive the Honda, Cepada fled on foot. Later that day, while visiting his cousins' ex-boyfriend, Ricardo Fernandez, in Manhattan, Cepada stole Fernandez's vehicle, a 2002 Lancer. After eluding police for a little more than a month, the defendant was spotted on December 10, 2001, driving the stolen Lancer at 230th Street and Broadway in the Bronx.

Cepada led police on a high speed chase through the Bronx and upper Manhattan, endangering other motorists and pedestrians. The Lancer was found later that day abandoned at 207th Street and Sherman Avenue in Manhattan.

Detectives recovered various items from the Lancer indicating the defendant may have a connection to Miami, Florida. Officials for the Miami Dade police force were notified and the defendant was apprehended on January 29, 2002 at Miami motel.

This case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Nancy Borko of the General Crimes Division.