East New York Man Gets 23 Years to Life in Prison for Killing His Mother Following A Family Feud
The accused was determined to have killed murdered his mother to prevent her from reporting an earlier crime he committed against a younger family member
According to an announcement today by the acting Brooklyn District Attorney, a 31-year-old man who murdered his mother following a family quarrel has been sentenced to 23 years to life in jail. The accused is said to have suspected that his mother would report him to the representatives at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office for a crime he allegedly committed against his younger relative.
The defendant, identified as Apollo Hernandez, 31, of East New York, Brooklyn, was arraigned before Justice Neil Firetog of the Brooklyn Supreme Court, who sentenced him to 23 years to life in prison. Last month, a jury trial for the same case convicted the accused of a second-degree murder.
A report by the Acting DA showed that according to trail testimony, the murder crime happened at about 10:00 p.m. on the 17th of December 2014. The victim, 48 year old Ruth Maceira, is said to have been home alone when her eldest son knocked on her front door at her Bushwick home at about 6:30 p.m. The accused is reported to have severely beaten his mother severally using a metal statue, and further slit her throat using a kitchen knife.
The report of the incident was first made by a relative on 20th December, 2014, who after trying to reach Ms. Maceira for hours without success got worried and called emergency personnel. According to trial testimony that was further supported by evidence from text messages between the victim and the accused, Hernandez had planned to meet up with his mother to talk about an accusation made against him by a younger relative earlier in the same year. Ms. Maceira is reported to have organized a meeting with Brooklyn authorities the following week before her death.
During preliminary investigations, a track of bloody footprints together with sneaker treads was discovered trailing right from the victim’s apartment on the fourth floor, to the buildings front entrance.
Evidence during the arrest of the accused revealed that there was a pair of trousers that had been shredded and soaked in soapy water in his home. Further, the bottom tread of his sneakers was found to be somewhat melted.
Additional account from trial evidence stated that a security camera from the apartment of the accused showed him exiting his apartment on the day of the killing. While the video shows him having left in a plain hoodie, he is seen coming back without the said hoodie. According to trial evidence, the said hoodie was later found near the victim’s body, and DNA results revealed that it belonged to the accused.
According to the report from the chief medical Examiner, the victim died from an incised wound on her neck.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Emily Dean, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Kenneth Taub, Chief.
