Yesterday afternoon, a rent dispute between a landlord and tenant on Shepherd Avenue, Brooklyn, turned deadly as the landlord apparently opened fire on the tenant and tried to shoot another. The violence may have been prompted by as little as $100.
Police found Luis Martinez, 51, dead at 566 Shepherd Avenue. According to the Post, he had been "defending sister Anna Rodriguez and her two children from the unhinged [landlord], Philip Estevez, 63, who lives in the same house... When Estevez didn't immediately get his money, he began pummeling Rodriguez around 1:05 p.m., police sources said." Rodriguez escaped with her children, daughter Eliana Espinal, 10, and son, Elian Espinal, 12.
Estevez allegedly shot Martinez once in the chest and then fired "execution-style shots into his head and chest" while standing over him. Investigators say he then turned his attention back to Rodriguez. The Daily News reports, "The deranged gunman returned and got into Rodriguez’s apartment, set on shooting her and her terrified children, police sources said. But Estevez’s gun jammed when he tried to squeeze off rounds." That's when Elian jumped out of the window. Little Eliana reportedly "bashed Estevez in the head with a block of wood."
Estevez was taken into custody and may be arguing self-defense. A neighbor was shocked, telling the NY Times, "He didn’t do anything but work. How can I explain this? A person this hard-working, and this happens?" Another tenant told the Post that Estevez had been complaining, “He told me that this person has to get the F-- out of here... It is over money. [They] did not pay [their] rent."
