2 charged with murder in 2019 fatal shooting of a man on Long Island
HEMPSTEAD, Long Island (WABC) -- Two men are in police custody in connection with a November homicide on Long Island where a man was found shot to death.
After an investigation, police arrested 26-year-old Kadeem Lewis and a homeless man, 33-year-old Richard Ford, who have both been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 34-year-old Jose Leonardo Sanchez.
According to police, officers responded to the shot spotter activation system in a residential neighborhood on Burnett Street in Hempstead just before 2:30 a.m. on November 25, 2019.
Upon arrival, officers found Sanchez lying on the ground and transported him to a local hospital.
He was later pronounced dead.
Police say Lewis and Ford robbed and killed Sanchez, an immigrant from Honduras who working long hours to provide for his wife and five children, after finding him asleep in his car.
Now, the victim's family is speaking out about what they call a senseless murder. His father says he is heartbroken.
"The police do a good job, because I don't want people like that on the street," Santos Sanchez said. "My son never had a problem, never. The first time, somebody go and kill him in the car. It's no good."
Authorities describe the suspects as career criminals. They face the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
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