A Bronx man, Zahir Williams, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the death of Francisco Ortega in October 2023. The details of the crime were provided by the Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, who described the act as one of "shocking cruelty and violence." According to the report by the Queens District Attorney's Office, after Ortega was viciously beaten by Williams and left unconscious, Williams stole Ortega's BMW and ran directly over the incapacitated man.
Williams, 26, had originally engaged Ortega in conversation by the side of his car. The situation escalated when Williams and another individual attacked Ortega, who was then left lying in the street. Williams entered the driver's seat of the BMW, subsequently maneuvered to deliberately hit Ortega, using the victim's own car as a lethal weapon. "Williams then returned to the scene and used the car as a weapon that ended Ortega’s life," District Attorney Katz stated in the summary of the case, as per the Queens District Attorney's Office.
The 50-year-old victim was beaten after a brief verbal dispute and an assault that sent him to the ground. Williams and others aggressively continued the attack, as outlined by the prosecuting team led by Senior Assistant District Attorney Ryan Nicolosi of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Antonio Vittiglio. "Williams then stepped over the unconscious Ortega and entered the driver’s seat of the victim’s BMW," according to information provided by the Queens District Attorney's Office. The ordeal ended tragically when Williams aligned the car with Ortega's body and accelerated, causing fatal injuries.
Justice Kenneth Holder of the Supreme Court sentenced Williams on October 14, after a guilty plea to first-degree manslaughter was entered. This sentence also includes five years of post-release supervision. The case against Williams' codefendant is still pending. Ortega was pronounced dead due to the injuries inflicted, with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirming that he was alive until Williams drove over him.
