Brooklyn man sentenced to life for execution-style triple murder in East New York
Brooklyn, NY – A 52-year-old man from East New York will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for carrying out two separate, execution-style shootings that left three people dead in broad daylight.
Charles Hernandez was convicted in May of first-degree murder and multiple related charges in connection with a pair of targeted killings that took place just one week apart in June 2020. Prosecutors say Hernandez wore disguises and used high-capacity firearms to ambush his victims, executing them on the street in East New York before fleeing the scenes.
The first incident occurred on June 20, 2020, when Kenneth Singleton, 35, was gunned down while washing his car outside his home near Milford Street and Blake Avenue. Hernandez approached from behind and shot Singleton multiple times in the head at close range while wearing a disguise, according to trial evidence.
Seven days later, Hernandez struck again. Just after noon on June 27, 2020, he approached 39-year-old Stephanie Perkins and 23-year-old Chioke Thompson as they sat on the stoop of Perkins’ home on Van Siclen Street. Disguised in a blonde wig and long coat, he opened fire with a high-capacity rifle, killing both victims instantly. He then stepped over their bodies and entered the home, firing multiple additional rounds before escaping the scene.
The shootings were not random. Prosecutors said Hernandez targeted the victims because of their ties to a man with whom he had a longstanding dispute. The gunfire endangered several others, including a child and multiple residents inside the home during the second shooting.
Hernandez was apprehended on July 9, 2020, in West Virginia by the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force, with assistance from state and local authorities.
Liza Jenkins, a 52-year-old co-defendant, was convicted of hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence for her role in helping Hernandez after the first murder. She is awaiting sentencing.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the brutal nature of the crimes and their impact on the community warranted the maximum punishment.
Key Points
- Charles Hernandez was sentenced to life without parole for three murders committed in 2020
- He ambushed the victims in separate East New York shootings while in disguise
- A co-defendant was convicted of helping Hernandez after the first killing