50 YEARS TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR BRONX MAN CONVICTED OF MURDERING A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND ATTEMPTING TO MURDER A 19-YEAR- OLD YOUTH DURING A HOLIDAY BLOCK PARTY

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that 22-year-old Rene Bonilla was sentenced to a term of 50 years to life imprisonment for a shooting spree that killed a 10-year-old girl and seriously injured a 19-year-old teenager.

Bonilla, of 526 East 138th Street, was found guilty last month of Murder in the 2nd degree in the death of Naisha Pearson and Attempted Murder in the 2nd degree in the wounding of Leonardo Deaza. Bonilla was convicted after two days of deliberations.

State Supreme Court Justice Dominick Massaro imposed consecutive sentences of 25 years to life for the murder and 25 years for the attempted murder. Bonilla must serve a minimum of 50 years in state prison before he will become eligible for parole.

The crimes occurred on September 5, 2005, at a Labor Day block party in a crowded playground at Brook Avenue and East 139th where Bonilla approached Deaza and started shooting. Naisha Pearson was struck once in the chest by a stray bullet and fell to the ground. Bonilla walked around the mortally wounded child and shot Deaza five times in the back, chest, stomach and arm. Bonilla was chased into a nearby building. He ran up a stairwell to the roof and was apprehended by police officers as he attempted to escape by running across adjacent rooftops.

The deadly shooting was the result of an earlier confrontation between Bonilla and Deaza. Bonilla was seeking revenge when he shot Deaza who had beaten him in front of his girlfriend. The jury heard testimony that Deaza went after Bonilla because he had robbed Deaza’s uncle.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Trial Counsel, Assistant District Attorney Daniel McCarthy and Assistant District Attorney Tracy Siligmueller.