Mother of 12-Year-Old Shot Dead in Bronx Crossfire Weeps at Killer's First Court Appearance

William Ferrer, 45, pleaded not guilty in Bronx Supreme Court to the stray-bullet killing of Jacob Freytes. The boy's mother said she "feels like a shell."

Ferrer Pleads Not Guilty in Bronx Boy's Shooting Death

William Ferrer, 45, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Bronx Supreme Court to charges stemming from the July 25 stray-bullet killing of 12-year-old Jacob Freytes — as the boy's mother, Migdalia Martinez, sat feet away dabbing her eyes with a tissue, the NY Post reports.

Ferrer, dressed in beige jail scrubs and carrying at least a half-dozen prior arrests dating back to 1999, entered the plea before Justice Alvin Yearwood. Jacob, the son of retired NYPD Detective Sgt. Jesus Freytes, was struck by gunfire outside Wanda Deli Grocery on Elliott Place near the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. The boy had biked to the store to buy a ball when a street dispute erupted in gunfire. Two other men were also wounded.

Surveillance footage captured Jacob clutching his chest and staggering back into the bodega after he was hit.

Martinez, surrounded by about a dozen family members, wore a T-shirt bearing photos of herself and her slain son. After the hearing, she told the NY Post she had attended court specifically to confront the man accused of taking Jacob's life.

"I just wanted him to see how I felt, what he left me with. I feel like a shell. I carry a burden," Martinez said. "I don't feel like I deserve this."

She said seeing Ferrer inside the courtroom was unlike any prior encounter with him on the streets. "Whether I've seen him before or not, it's a lot different when you see them after they committed something like that to someone you love," she said.

Martinez was sharply critical of what she described as deliberate delay tactics by the defense. "He's trying to buy time. The system is just messed up. This is just a mockery to him," she said. "From his point of view it was an accident, but hey, as long as I don't do life it's fine."

Judge Rejects Defense Bid to Block Cameras

Before the plea was entered, Yearwood ruled in favor of allowing the NY Post to photograph Ferrer inside the courtroom, rejecting a defense motion to keep cameras out.

"This was an incident that was allegedly on video," Yearwood said. "Even I, as a Bronx resident, saw the video." He added that photographing a defendant at a court proceeding posed no meaningful prejudice. "This court believes in the public's right to know. You open the doors wide, you allow the public to see what's happening, and that will help to provide confidence in the system, that we are not doing things in the dark."

Yearwood also addressed Jacob's grieving relatives directly from the bench, cautioning them that the case was unlikely to reach trial before the end of the year.

"The case is in the court system. It's not going to be resolved tomorrow," the judge told the family seated in the gallery. "You're welcome to come to every single court date, but understand you're not getting a trial before the end of this year because unfortunately we have a lot of cases that we have to work through."

Ferrer faces charges of murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault, and weapons offenses. Yearwood ordered him held without bail. His next court date is set for November 17.

Source: NY Post Metro