Dec. 15, 2023 By Bill Parry
An Astoria man was arrested Friday morning and charged with manslaughter following the death of his neighbor who tumbled down a flight of stairs in the apartment building they both lived.
Kevin Ogara, 58, was taken into custody and booked at the 114th Precinct in Astoria where he was charged with 2 counts of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the death of Rene Montalvo Peredo, a 60-year-old man who fell down a staircase in the 28-04 44th St. building on the night of Friday, Nov. 3.
EMS responded to the scene and transported Montalvo Peredo to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital in Astoria where he was pronounced dead on Tuesday, Nov. 7, police said. On Dec. 13, the NYPD said that the incident was not an accident and that the case was classified as a homicide. The determination was based on an autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
An NYPD spokesman could not provide further details on Ogara’s arrest and he could not confirm reports that the two men had an argument prior to the victim’s fatal fall down the staircase. He did say that the investigation remains ongoing.