BROOKLYN, NY – An East Williamsburg man, Jerry Brown, 39, has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison following a horrific axe attack that critically injured his girlfriend and killed her pregnant friend. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced the sentence today, handed down by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun.
On April 20, 2019, at around 1:35 a.m., Brown attacked his 21-year-old girlfriend and her 20-year-old friend, Savannah Rivera, inside his girlfriend’s apartment located in the Bushwick Houses on Flushing Avenue.
The violent assault occurred in the presence of his girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter. Brown inflicted fatal wounds on Rivera and severely injured his girlfriend, resulting in multiple severe injuries.
The surviving victim, suffering from life-threatening injuries, managed to alert an Uber driver who called 911. She was subsequently rushed to Elmhurst Hospital in critical condition and has since undergone multiple surgeries. The woman continues to battle health complications from the attack, including seizures and a risk of serious infections.
Brown surrendered to police later the same day and confessed to the crimes in an interview. He also admitted to discarding the weapon and his girlfriend’s cellphone in the building’s incinerator.
District Attorney Gonzalez expressed hope that the sentence would bring some comfort to the families and friends affected by this tragic event. The DA’s office also acknowledged the assistance of Paralegal Meghan Brancato of the Homicide Bureau in securing the conviction.
