2 men charged in connection to fatal Throgs Neck altercation plead not guilty
Omar Lamoni, 43, and his half-brother Edwin Nina, 39, both of 1022 Throgs Neck Expressway, were arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court.
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Two men charged in connection with a deadly altercation at a Throgs Neck home have pleaded not guilty.
Omar Lamoni, 43, and his half-brother Edwin Nina, 39, both of 1022 Throgs Neck Expressway, were arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court on Monday.
Lamoni was charged with assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Nina was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
The charges stem from a fight that broke out Saturday night at the Throgs Neck property. Police say they responded to an assault in progress and found 30-year-old Kristopher Samaroo with severe trauma to his body. He was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death is pending a report from the medical examiner.
During Monday’s arraignment, Judge Derron Bowen reviewed surveillance footage of the altercation, which reportedly involved a metal bat. Based on the review, Lamoni was released under supervised release. Nina, who prosecutors say wielded the bat, was issued $10,000 cash bail, significantly lower than the $100,000 initially requested by prosecutors.
The judge described the fight as "juvenile," noting that all parties involved had several opportunities to walk away.
A full order of protection was granted for Samaroo’s fiancée, Brittney Shears. Both Lamoni and Nina are prohibited from contacting or communicating with Shears and must stay away from her home. Failure to comply could lead to re-arrest.
The defendants’ family was present in court and denied claims that the altercation stemmed from a rent dispute. They stated the matter is already being handled in housing court. The defense attorneys argued that surveillance footage would show Samaroo as the aggressor and claimed that Shears also participated in the fight, causing injuries to the defendants.
Police say the investigation is ongoing, and additional charges could be filed as new evidence comes to light.
