www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY January 19, 2020 4
Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson speaks at a rally on Jan.6 about denouncing violence in the community and the senseless murder of Juan Fresnada on Dec. 31. Schneps Media Jason Cohen
Morrisania rally deplores senseless $1 murder
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MEMBER:
BY JASON COHEN
As 2019 came to a close,
a senseless horrifi c act of
violence occurred in Morrisania,
taking the life of a
60-year-old man for merely
a dollar.
On Monday, January
6, Councilwoman Vanessa
Gibson, Public Advocate Jumaane
Williams, elected offi
cials and activist groups,
held a press conference on
the steps where the robbery
took place condemning the
incident and calling for this
type of behavior to stop in
the community.
On Tuesday, December
24, Juan Fresnada and his
partner, Bayron Caceras,
were walking home from the
McDonald’s on Boston Road
and Third Avenue, when
they were allegedly accosted
by a group of teens who demanded
their money.
The suspects attacked
them, putting Fresnada in
the hospital for fi ve days,
where he eventually succumbed
to his injuries and
died.
As of press time, a
15-year-old boy was charged
with second-degree murder
and gang assault in the
fi rst and second-degrees and
Abu Conteh, 18, was charged
with gang assault and second
degree murder charges.
Other individuals are still at
large.
“He was a brother, he was
a friend, he was a neighbor,
his life matters,” Gibson exclaimed.
“We are calling to
action because only one individual
was arrested for
this horrifi c crime.”
Later that day, the
15-year-old was apprehended.
On Friday, January 10, a
third suspect, a 14-year-old,
was arrested as well.
She stressed that people
must come forward if they
saw something. His family
deserves justice.
The councilwoman noted
how on Sunday, January 5,
thousands marched in the
city in solidarity after the
recent anti-Semitic attacks
in the Jewish community.
However, she questioned
where is that type of activism
for this neighborhood?
“Violence against anyone
is unacceptable,” she said.
“We have to stand up and
speak up.”
According to Gibson,
people can help prevent this
senseless violence by providing
proper health services,
education, jobs, housing and
medical services.
The Public Advocate
shared Gibson’s concerns.
He noted how people in the
community are getting used
to violence and that should
not be the case.
Those young people
likely did not wake up that
day planning to kill someone,
but they did and must
be held accountable, he exclaimed.
“Someone lost their life
for a dollar,” he said.
Like Gibson, he wondered
where the help was from the
city and state for the impoverished
Black and Latino
neighborhoods. The governor
just gave $45 million to
aid the Jewish communities,
but where’s the money for
us? Williams said.
“We want an impact on
the ground,” he stressed.
“Where’s the money to fi x
infrastructure here. We
need help on crime.”
Among the activists at
the event was Save Our
Streets (SOS), a non-profi t
that works to prevent violence.
James Redding, program
supervisor for SOS,
expressed his frustrations
with the recent crime.
“We stand here on these
streets every day to bring
families and communities
together,” he shouted. “We
stand on these streets every
day with the hope that when
somebody sees us they see
us as an opportunity to prevent
somebody from doing
something.”
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