A Bronx nightclub altercation turned fatal shooting has culminated in a twenty-year to life sentence for Domingo Berroa, the man responsible for the death of a 19-year-old woman. According to the Bronx District Attorney's Office, Berroa received his sentence on November 25 after a jury trial found him guilty of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
The incident, which occurred back in October 2020 at the Trios nightclub near Jerome Avenue and North Street, escalated when Berroa discharged his weapon, missing his intended target, and instead hitting Wendolin Ortiz, the 19-year-old victim. The stray bullet took her life, and another bystander suffered a gunshot wound to the arm. District Attorney Darcel D. Clark stated, "The defendant put people’s lives at risk when he opened fire inside a nightclub," signaling the disregard for public safety. Berroa attempted to flee to the Dominican Republic but was apprehended at JFK Airport, as per the Bronx District Attorney's Office.
Senior Homicide Counsel Karl Miller and Assistant District Attorney Kirsten Prylinski led the prosecution, with oversight from the Homicide Bureau's Deputy Chief Burim Namani and Chief Christine Scaccia, alongside Deputy Chief of the Trial Division James Brennan and Chief of the Trial Division Theresa Gottlieb. The convictions resulted in a concurrent sentence of 10 years for the weapon charge, along with five years of post-release supervision, to run alongside the murder sentence.
In addition to the prosecutorial team, the Bronx District Attorney's Office extended gratitude to Video Technician Stalin Crespo for his contributions to the case, and to NYPD Detective Faton Alickaj of Bronx Homicide for his work on the investigation. The justice served is a cold comfort to the family of Wendolin Ortiz, who had been merely seeking to enjoy a night out in her own borough. "No one should have to fear they are risking their lives by enjoying our borough’s nightlife," Clark's statement highlighted the tragic loss of a young life cut short by a senseless act of violence.
