A Bronx man has been sentenced to two decades behind bars for stabbing two bouncers, killing one, after a confrontation outside a Gowanus club. According to a statement from Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, the man, Jose Velasco, admitted to the fatal stabbing that took place last year after being evicted from a party at the club.
"This was a senseless and escalatory act of violence that cost a man his life," stated Gonzalez of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. Velasco, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter as part of the court proceedings. Despite the tragic outcome, the legal process has provided some measure of resolution, offering the families involved a concrete conclusion to this heartbreaking situation.
The violent episode, as detailed by the prosecution, unfolded on the night of February 26, 2022. Following Velasco's aggressive behavior at a Gowanus club located at 168 7th Street, he was subsequently expelled from the venue. Subsequent altercations with the venue's bouncers escalated quickly, resulting in Velasco stabbing two of them with a kitchen knife.
Marvin Pretto, 25 years old, suffered stab wounds to major blood vessels and his heart, and was later pronounced dead at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. The other victim, who was 21, suffered a laceration to the liver but survived after receiving medical treatment. Velasco was apprehended by law enforcement an hour later, near the intersection of 2nd Avenue and 13th Street in Gowanus, where officers found him dropping the blood-stained kitchen knife.
The case was diligently handled by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, leading to Justice Danny Chun sentencing Velasco to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision. Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph Mancino prosecuted the case with oversight from Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, who leads the Bureau.
