Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the trial conviction of PEDRO VINENT-BARCIA, 67, for the fatal stabbing of his 51-year-old girlfriend Bernice Rosado at a cellphone repair store in East Harlem. A New York Supreme Court judge found VINENT-BARCIA guilty of two count of Manslaughter in the First Degree following a 4-week trial. He will be sentenced on September 21, 2023.
“Today, Pedro Vinent-Barcia was held accountable for this horrific act of domestic violence,” said District Attorney Bragg. “I know the past few years have been incredibly painful for Ms. Rosado’s family and loved ones, and while nothing can undo this tragedy, I hope this conviction can bring some measure of comfort. I thank our prosecutors on this case for their thorough investigation and for achieving this strong outcome in court.”
As proven at trial, on June 29, 2018, VINENT-BARCIA and Ms. Rosado got into a dispute about whether she owed him money at her home. During this dispute, VINENT-BARCIA repeatedly threatened to kill Ms. Rosado. Fearing for her safety, Ms. Rosado called the police, asking them to remove VINENT-BARCIA from her home, repeatedly telling the 911 operator that the defendant would kill her one day.
The next day, June 30, 2018, Ms. Rosado went to a cellphone repair store near East 123rd Street and 3rd Avenue to get a new phone. Forty minutes later, VINENT-BARCIA entered the store with a 12-inch kitchen knife in his pocket. He confronted Ms. Rosado about the money and stabbed her three times in the neck and chest area, with one of the stab wounds penetrating her heart. Rosado collapsed on the floor, bleeding. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
VINENT-BARCIA exited the store, displaying the knife above his head, then fled around the corner to dispose of it. He was arrested two minutes later, on the same block.
Assistant D.A.s Matthew Bogdanos and Katherine Demartini and Supervising Investigative Analyst Nicole Drosinos handled the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Jessica Lynn (Chief of Trial Bureau 50) and Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division). Assistant D.A. Bethany Spiro, Senior Digital Evidence Analyst Jesse Hixon and Trial Preparation Assistants Leanna Ashe and Sophie Gad also assisted with the case.
D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly the 25th Precinct and Detective Squad and Manhattan North Homicide Squad, particularly Detective Richard Koprowski.
Defendant Information:
PEDRO VINENT-BARCIA
New York, NY
Convicted:
- Manslaughter in the First Degree, a class B felony, two count