1NEW YORK, NY – Two Bronx men who coordinated a deadly East Harlem shooting that killed a father of two have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms following guilty pleas.

Xavier Baez, 25, received a 16-year sentence, while 21-year-old William Cartagena was ordered to serve 22 years to life in state prison for the September 2023 murder of 34-year-old Akebulon Reeves.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Reeves’ killing was a “sudden and horrific act of gun violence” that showed “no regard for human life.”

Key Points

Two Bronx men sentenced for the 2023 murder of Akebulon Reeves in East Harlem

Prosecutors say the pair coordinated a scooter drive-by attack in broad daylight

Cartagena pleaded guilty to murder, Baez to manslaughter, both arrested a week later

East Harlem ambush

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