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Kadeem Lewis, age 31, of Hempstead, was found guilty of second-degree murder and related charges in Nassau County Court on Thursday, Oct. 31, in the killing of Jose Sanchez-Velasquez.
According to investigators, Lewis and a co-defendant, Richard Ford, were walking around Hempstead looking for a house to burglarize when they spotted Velasquez sleeping in the front seat of his car at around 2:20 a.m. on Nov. 25, 2019.
Lewis went to the driver’s side door while Ford walked to the passenger side door and began stealing several cell phones.
Ford then pulled Velasquez out of the vehicle. When the victim screamed, Lewis fired a single shot into his chest, killing the man. Both men then fled the scene.
Prosecutors said Lewis was involved in a second residential robbery in Hempstead a month later, in December 2019. Donning a ski mask, he dropped his cell phone inside the residence.
Nassau County Police later recovered the mask and a wallet that was taken from the Alan Street home. DNA samples taken from the mask and cell phones from the murder scene both came back as matches to Lewis.
Months went by before police finally arrested Lewis in February 2020.
“Kadeem Lewis targeted a man asleep in his car, robbed him, and tragically ended Jose Sanchez-Velasquez’s life in the process,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
“No one in Nassau County should ever have to fear they’ll become the victim of a violent assault simply sitting in their vehicle.”
In court Thursday, following five days of deliberations, a Nassau County jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and two counts of robbery.
He faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison when he’s sentenced on Monday, Dec. 16.
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