New York Tenant Killed During Hot Water Dispute: Landlord and Brother Arrested!
A 43-year-old landlord, Omar Lamoni, and his 39-year-old half-brother, Edwin Nina, were arrested in New York after a tenant, Kristopher Samaroo, was killed during a dispute about hot water. Police say the two men beat Samaroo with a baseball bat in front of his family.
The fight started on Saturday evening when Nina reportedly punched Samaroo while he was holding his 6-month-old baby.
The child was almost hit, but Samaroo managed to hand the baby to his fiancée, Brittney Shears. Lamoni then joined the fight, and Nina allegedly hit Samaroo multiple times with a metal baseball bat.
Police arrived at the scene to find Samaroo badly injured. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Court documents reveal that surveillance footage captured the incident. The video shows Nina grabbing a bat from his truck and hitting Samaroo during the 12-minute altercation.
Defense attorney Gary Maclena claims that Samaroo and his fiancée were the aggressors and denies that the brothers used any weapons. Maclean also said the couple had harassed Lamoni and Nina for months, making cruel comments about their late brother.
Shears, however, told reporters that the family had been struggling without hot water for three months. Records show the property had 67 complaints and 17 violations since early 2023.
She claimed they were making partial rent payments because of the ongoing issue.
The brothers were charged with second-degree assault. Lamoni also faces charges of endangering a child, while Nina is accused of criminal possession of a weapon.
Prosecutors have said the charges could be upgraded to homicide based on autopsy results.
Following their arrest, Nina was released on a $10,000 bond, and Lamoni was placed under supervised release. Both men pleaded not guilty and are barred from contacting Shears.
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