By The newspaper
Feb 29, 2024, 01:40 AM EST
Brandon Paulino, a 30-year-old patient diagnosed with schizophrenia, died in an apparent fight with Eduardo Martínez in front of the same mental health residence where they both lived in Brooklyn (NYC).
According to police, the deadly argument occurred around 1:40 p.m. Sunday outside the MacDougal Street Apartments in Brownsville, a building where people with mental health problems live.
The 65-unit facility on MacDougal St. near Broadway opened in 2012 and is run by the nonprofit Concern Housing, he said. DailyNews.
Martinez was charged with involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday. He was ordered held on $100,000 bail during his arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court yesterday. His attorney believes his client has a strong claim of self-defense. “He apparently was attacked by a very large, belligerent individual and fought back,” Scott Cerbin said. “Ultimately, the decision will be up to a grand jury.”
The detainee and a witness told police that Paulino baselessly accused Martínez of raping a 3-year-old girl and then punched her, according to prosecutors. Paulino, who Martínez said was much bigger than him, got tired during the fight and lay down on the ground.
Martinez then allegedly strangled Paulino until he lost consciousness. Paramedics took him to Interfaith Medical Center, where he died at 2:53 pm the same day, police said.
Paulino’s heartbroken family said yesterday that he had not received his medication and was suffering “an episode” of paranoia when he attacked Martínez, whom the victim considered a friend. He “gave out of breath and collapsed. [Martínez] “He killed him by strangling him,” said the victim’s sister, Anabelle Paulino (20).
Last year, Paulino’s family moved him to the Brooklyn residence from a group home on Staten Island, where he was not feeling well. “We moved him to that facility so he could be close to us,” his sister said. “He started getting sick about 12 years ago, but things really got worse with COVID [cuando] “He started gaining weight and getting sicker.”
Martínez has a police record: he was last arrested in 2004 for assault with a deadly weapon and before that he had an arrest for robbery. He has never been accused of rape and is not on the sex offender registry, an issue that apparently sparked the fatal fight with Paulino.
All charges are mere accusations and those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
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