Man Indicted For September Fatal Shooting On 4th Avenue

BOERUM HILL – Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced today that a 45-year-old man has been indicted for murder in connection to the fatal shooting of a Staten Island man in front of a Dunkin’ Donuts on 4th Avenue in September.

According to the investigation, on September 20, Matthew Passaro was walking on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill when he encountered 47-year-old Stephen Vargas. Investigators say the two men did not know each other, but Passaro began yelling at the victim.

After this exchange, Passaro allegedly went around the corner and changed his clothes, according to the investigation. At approximately 8:20pm, Passaro returned to 578 Atlantic Avenue, at the corner of 4th Avenue, where Vargas was standing outside and shot him multiple times, killing him.

Passaro fled the scene and was arrested on November 1 at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Police found a loaded .45-caliber pistol on Passaro and a microscopic analysis of the gun, as well as ballistic evidence from the scene of the shooting, determined that it was the same firearm used to kill Vargas, the announcement states.

Passaro was arraigned on Wednesday at Brooklyn Supreme Court on an indictment charging him with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He is being held without bail and is scheduled to return to court on February 23, 2018. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

“This defendant allegedly executed a completely innocent stranger in the middle of a busy street for no reason at all,” Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said. “I now intend to hold him accountable for this wanton and senseless killing.”