Suspect arrested in connection with druggings and robberies in New York City

Police have arrested considered one of 3 males sought after in connection with a sequence of drugging deaths and robberies in New York City. Jacob Barroso, 30, faces homicide, theft, grand larceny, identification robbery and conspiracy fees, police introduced Sunday.

Jayqwan Hamilton, 35, and Robert Demaio, 34, are nonetheless being sought by way of police in connection with the crimes.

Police allege that each one 3 males are hooked up to a “citywide robbery pattern” that encompasses a minimum of 17 incidents that took place between September 2021 and August 2022. These incidents come with the deaths of Julio Cesar Ramirez, 25, and John Umberger, 33. 

Roughly 5 weeks aside, each males had been drugged, robbed and then died after leaving homosexual bars in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen community. Both males had been observed leaving the bar with more than one strangers, consistent with CBS New York.

At least one different individual, Shane Hoskins, has been indicted in connection with the crimes. Court paperwork allege that Hoskins used to be a part of a plot to manner intoxicated folks leaving nightclubs, have interaction them in dialog and then be offering them incapacitating medication so “their ability to perceive events became diminished” and they may rob the sufferers in their “phones and credit cards” or different assets. 

Hoskins used to be dealing with more than one counts that come with theft, conspiracy, grand larceny and identification robbery.

Several other folks had been indicted alongside with Hoskins, however their names and the costs towards them had been sealed and redacted in court docket paperwork got by way of CBS News. It used to be no longer in an instant transparent if Barroso, Hamilton or Demaio had been amongst the ones whose names have been redacted.

—Gina Martinez, Kerry Breen and Cara Tabachnick contributed reporting.