PRESS RELEASE
Contact: William J. Smith (718) 556-7150
William.Smith@rcda.nyc.gov
For Immediate Release on October 11, 2006

D.A. Donovan: Murder Indictment Filed in Fatal Robbery of Mexican Immigrant
***Grand Jury Returns Indictment on Murder, Robbery, Assault Charges in Fatal Robbery of Ricardo Salinas, 33****

     STATEN ISLAND, NY - Richmond County District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. today announced the unsealing of an indictment in the September 2, 2006, fatal robbery of 33 year old Mariner’s Harbor resident Ricardo Salinas. The indictment, voted by a Richmond County Grand Jury, charges Daniel Betancourt (DOB: 3/21/87) and Travis King (DOB: 10/27/86) with one count of Murder in the 2nd Degree, a Class A-1 felony, one count of Robbery in the 1st Degree, a Class B felony, two counts of Robbery in the 2nd Degree, a Class C felony, one count of Assault in the 2nd Degree, a Class D felony and two misdemeanor counts of Aggravated Harassment in the 2nd Degree. The proceedings against a third defendant, John Messiha (DOB: 11/4/88), are sealed.

     The indictment supersedes an earlier indictment charging the defendants with Robbery in the 1st Degree.

     The indictment alleges that on September 2, 2006, at approximately 9:05 pm, at 324 Van Pelt Avenue, the defendants did approach Mr. Salinas as he was walking from his home to a local store and did forcibly remove property from the victim consisting of two gold chains, a pendant and a cell phone, and did cause serious physical injury that resulted in the death of Mr. Salinas. The victim was discovered deceased at the scene shortly after the robbery. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Mr. Salinas died as a result of sudden cardiac death during a violent struggle. Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants used the victim’s cell phone to call and harass the victim’s sister-in-law and brother.

     District Attorney Donovan stated, “Following the completion of the Medical Examiner’s report on the death of Mr. Salinas my office presented additional evidence to the Grand Jury which last week voted to indict Mr. Betancourt and Mr. King on 2nd Degree Murder and other serious felony and misdemeanor charges.”

     “In the days following the initial arrests in this case, there was much speculation as to whether my office would seek to prosecute this case as a “hate crime.” In the course of this investigation, my office examined our state’s Hate Crimes Statute and the possibility of brining such charges against the defendants. After a review of all of the evidence, evidence which will be disclosed as we proceed towards trial, it is clear that the motivation for the attack on Mr. Salinas was robbery, not his ethnicity. Our investigation concluded that this was a crime of opportunity, not one of hate,” stated D.A. Donovan.
The defendants were arraigned on the indictment Wednesday, October, 12th in State Supreme Court, St. George before Judge Leonard P. Rienzi and were ordered held without bail. They are due back in court for a conference on November 6, 2006. The defendants face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison if convicted at trial of the top count of the indictment.

     The case is being prosecuted by ADA David Frey and ADA Mario Mattei, Chief of the Investigations Bureau. Among the defendants, Travis King was represented at arraignment by Mark Pollard, Esq., and Daniel Betancourt is represented by Mark Fonte, Esq. John Messiha is represented by Leo Duval, Esq
The public is reminded that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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