Bonilla pleads not guilty, faces new charges
BY ROBBIE SEQUEIRA
Luis Bonilla, the suspect
charged with the murder, burglary
and assault of an elderly
man in the Pelham Gardens
section of the Bronx earlier
this month, was indicted for
an unrelated second-degree assault
in Bronx Criminal Court
on Monday, Aug. 30.
Bonilla said he was “not prepared”
for proceedings on Monday
afternoon, but after an offthe
record conversation with
his consul, J Olayinka Dan-
Salami, Bonilla murmured his
way through a not guilty plea.
This continues a series of
court appearances for Bonilla,
dating back to Aug. 20, when
he pleaded not guilty to felony
charges, including murder and
assault that are in connection
with the death of 91-year-old Nicholo
Rappa.
According to authorities,
Bonilla who was out on parole
is accused of attacking Rappa,
tying him up and beating him
to death after posing as a construction
worker to gain access
to his Wickham Avenue home
in Pelham Gardens on Aug. 3.
Bonilla was as arrested
on Aug. 9, on charges that included
fi rst-degree murder;
burglary of a dwelling causing
injury; manslaughter; fi rst-degree
robbery, and assault with
intent to cause serious injury.
The 32-year-old is also facing
additional counts in connection
to two unrelated incidents
that took place in July
and also while he was in custody.
While in custody, Bonilla
reportedly had a run-in
with a corrections offi cer, resulting
in additional charges
of aggravated harassment of
an employee by an inmate and
unlawful maintaining of premises.
According to state Department
of Corrections records,
Bonilla was sentenced to state
prison in 2018 for attempted
robbery in the fi rst degree, a
felony. He was released on Jan.
19, 2021, on conditional parole.
Rappa, a construction
worker, had been taking care of
his 96-year-old wife at the time
of his death.
The defense will issue
their motions on Oct. 18, with
the prosecution’s response
on Nov. 11. A decision on the
charges before Bonilla is set
for Nov. 16.
Luis Bonilla, 32, pleaded not guilty to murder charges on Aug. 20, 2021, in the slaying of Nicholo Rappa, 91, of
Pelham Gardens. Photo Adrian Childress
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