A City of Newburgh man is facing prison time after he admitted to shooting a 29 year-old man and a 5 year-old boy who was riding his bicycle. The man died from his injuries and the child was injured. The shooter fled the state and became a fugitive.
Lamont Williams, age 29, pled guilty in Orange County Court today to Manslaughter in the 1st degree and Assault in the 2nd degree. His admission of guilt came under a plea agreement. It is anticipated that he will be sentenced to 25 years in the slammer, according to Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler.
The crime stems from an incident on September 29, 2022 (story here). Williams possessed a loaded gun and shot at two people. After the shooting, he fled the area.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, together with the United States Marshal Service and North Carolina law enforcement agencies, tracked Williams to a location in North Carolina where he was taken into custody (story here). Williams was then extradited back to New York to be arraigned on the sealed indictment. At the plea proceedings, Williams admitted to killing the man and injuring the boy.
Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation which led to the arrest of Williams. He also thanked the many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in New York and North Carolina who assisted in the manhunt for Williams.
“This case highlights the tragic consequences of senseless gun violence committed by a depraved offender,” said Hoovler. “I want to especially commend the City of Newburgh Police Department and their hard-working Detective Division for their tireless efforts in this case, which assured that a violent criminal was brought to justice. I extend my condolences to the families of the victims in this case. My Office will deploy all necessary resources in order to hold violent offenders accountable for their actions.”
City of Newburgh Police Commissioner Jose A. Gomerez stated, “This outcome would not have been possible without the City of Newburgh Police Detective Division’s dogged pursuit of Mr. Williams, generating leads that tracked him down the East Coast to a North Carolina closet, and finally returning him to justice. We are grateful for the many hours of work the District Attorney’s Office expended to secure justice for Mr. Williams’ victims.”
Williams will be sentenced on July 10, 2023.
