Cops: Neighbors' Fight Over Parking Led To Man's Death In The Bronx
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A fight over parking in the Bronx last week escalated to the point where one man was killed, and the other was charged with manslaughter, police said.
As CBS2's Weijia Jiang reported, people who knew the man who was killed – Ron Antonucci, 68 -- remembered him fondly Monday evening.
"He was a very nice man. I also know that he was very well-liked in the building," said next-door neighbor Mark Espisito
And the man now charged – Gjok Deda, 50 -- was described in much the same way.
"Very nice -- hello, goodbye," said neighbor Barbara Trzaska.
So how did two nice guys who lived three floors apart end up in such a deadly fight?
"It's very, very, very sad," Espisito said. "Everybody in the building feels that way."
Police said around 7:45 a.m. Thursday, Antonucci was parking his car in a lot at 1110 Stadium Ave., in the Country Club section of the Bronx.
Deda, 50, was walking with two of his children and accused Antonucci of almost hitting them as he backed up, police said.
Cops: Man Charged With Manslaughter In Connection With Deadly Bronx Altercation
Deda allegedly punched Antonucci multiple times, causing him to fall and hit his head in a fatal injury.
Antonucci was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
"I came down when the police were there and the fire truck," Trzaska said, "and they were trying to resuscitate the gentleman."
Trzaska saw the tragedy as a teachable moment for her 12-year-old son, Sean Hall-Trzaska.
"You have to hold on to your temper. Sometimes, you just shouldn't jump to conclusions," Sean said, "because you're not always right, and the consequences can be much worse."
No one answered the door at Deda's apartment Monday night.
Nearby, a neighbor taped a note titled, "A terrible loss," saying Antonucci "had a heart of gold, always had a kind word to say to everyone in his eye sight, a joke to pass on, and there wasn't a dog that wasn't his friend!"
The incident could also be a loss for the Deda family. CBS2's cameras were the only ones in the courtroom as Deda was arraigned on manslaughter charges Monday night.
Deda did not say anything in court, but his attorney said his client will testify before a grand jury. In the meantime, he was being held without bail Monday night.
