Bayonne man's killer sentenced to 44 years in prison

By Jonathan Lin | The Jersey Journal
on October 23, 2014 at 6:47 PM

A 22-year-old Jersey City man was sentenced to 44 years in prison earlier this afternoon after pleading guilty to fatally shooting a Bayonne man and robbing two others in the same incident four years ago.

On Sept. 4, 2010, Larry "Du Du" Austin robbed three men at gunpoint in an alleyway in Jersey City and killed one of the men, Jorge Cuadra, 24, of Bayonne, when Cuadra hesitated to give up his wallet.


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http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... o_44_years_in_prison.html

22-year-old Jersey City man accused of murder rejects plea for 30 years in prison

By Jonathan Lin/The Jersey Journal
on January 23, 2014 at 6:13 PM

A 22-year-old Jersey City man charged with murdering a 24-year-old Bayonne man in 2010 rejected a plea deal for 30 years in prison without parole this afternoon.

When Judge John Young asked Larry "Du Du" Austin if he understood that he could face consecutive prison sentences and life without parole if he went through with a trial, he only murmured "yes."

Austin is accused of robbing three men at gunpoint in an alleyway in Jersey City on Sept. 4, 2010 and killing one of the men, Jorge Cuadra, 24, of Bayonne, when Cuadra hesitated to give up his wallet.

Salaam Reevey, 24, of Jersey City, was Austin's accomplice, remaining at the edge of the alleyway that night to look out for police. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison last November.

At several points today, Austin only answered the judge affirmatively after being prodded by his defense attorney, Lynda Benzenhoefer.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Nicole Ghezzar told the judge that the state would be submitting into evidence Austin's jeans, which were found in his apartment with blood on them shortly after Cuadra's death.

The blood on the jeans tested positive for Cuadra's DNA, Ghezzar said.

After some back-and-forth with the lawyers about scheduling conflicts, the judge set Austin's trial date for June 3 at 9 a.m.

Gloria Torres, Cuadra's mother, said, "For the most part his lack of remorse and arrogance would not allow him to come to terms after three long years with what he's done. I feel in a sense great, and can't wait to see the outcome of the choice he has made. For I know justice will prevail. I continue to pray, for all.''

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... _prison.html#incart_river

What I really don't understand is why he was originally only charged with aggravated assault. Shooting someone in the head is not aggravated assault. Shooting someone in the head means you wanted them to die. Murder. Simple as that. Even if the victim lived......the suspect should be charged with murder. Simple as that.

Also, with regards to blaming teachers? That's crazy talk. The blame is 100% the parents'.

Kids see teachers way more then their parents. I blame them too. Ever been to a town where kids go to the top 10 universities in the country? Crime is better then here. The teachers here fail the kids. Stats don't lie.

this is really horrible.

What??? Jersey City teachers?? This all stems from parenting and the product of Larry Austin's environment.
Jorge and his siblings are all products of the Jersey City Public School system and they are all well-raised children. Teachers do everything to try and get "kids" like Larry "DuDu" Austin off the streets and to have a chance to live a positive, productive life. Teacher's can't help if the parent's and/student's don't want to meet half way. Why don't you go teach at PS 22, or one of the High Schools? I bet you will change your tune. Don't ever blame teachers for a kid turned/raised thug.

This is not just a failure of our police but mostly a failure on our education system in Jersey city writing off the youth as talentless losers. This is also the failure of all the parents out there that raise boys to be thugs instead of men and teach that terror and the sword are worth more then the pen and the written word.

The police cannot be solely blamed.

An update:

Bayonne robbery victim dies; alleged shooter now facing murder charge


A Bayonne man who was shot in the head during a robbery in Jersey City on Saturday has died and charges against the man already arrested in the shooting are expected to be upgraded to murder today, officials said.

Jorge L. Cuadra, 24, of Avenue C near 53rd Street, was shot at 1:45 a.m. at Communipaw Avenue and Whiton Street and he remained on life support until his death on Tuesday, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said today.

Larry "Du Du" Austin, 18, of Johnston Avenue in Jersey City, was arrested by Jersey City police later in the day of the shooting and charged with aggravated assault, armed robbery and weapons offenses, DeFazio said.

Cuadra and two others had just left a party on Pine Street when a man armed with a silver handgun and a second man ordered them into an alley and demanded money, reports said.

They took $16 and a cell phone from the 19-year-old Jersey City victim before the gunman smashed the victim's head with the butt of his gun, causing a cut that required four stitches to close, reports said.

The gunman turned to the second Jersey City victim, a 22-year-old resident of Kennedy Boulevard, and hit him in the face with the gun, knocking the man out and injuring his jaw, reports said.

The gunman then demanded Cuadra's wallet, but before he handed over his money, the gunman allegedly put him in a headlock and shot him, reports said. All three victims were taken to the Jersey City Medical Center.

An autopsy performed on Cuadra at the state Regional Medical Examiner's Office in Newark yesterday determined he died as a result of being shot in the rear, left side of his neck and the bullet exiting his head at his right eyebrow, DeFazio said.
It's not clear when Austin will make his first court appearance on the upgraded charges.

More arrests are possible in the ongoing investigation by Jersey City police and the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office's Homicide Squad, DeFazio said.

http://www.nj.com/bayonne/index.ssf/2 ... bbery_victim_dies_al.html

It probably is the "bad part of town" thing and that not many of us downtown really identify with that neighborhood. Some folks likely think that walking around that hood at 2am is looking for trouble. That certainly doesn't make it right.

It's really tragic and I'm sorry for your loss.

Hi again, guys.

The reason I was asking to see if anyone had heard any additional news was because I am friends with two of the men that were assaulted.

The one that was shot in the face, unfortunately, has not survived.

Someone had told me that the two men who did this had been apprehended, but I have not seen it in the papers, so maybe it was just wishful thinking.

I'm just surprised this hasn't gotten any attention either on the news or on this board. The topic over the purse snatching seems pretty popular... Is it because that area is considered a "bad part of town," and it's "expected?"

I apologize, I don't mean to sound condescending, I just miss my friend.

Good post FAB.

There are also services like www.mobileme.com and www.instamapper.com that will track your stolen cellphone for you if it has built-in GPS.

Anybody have any more news on this? I'm surprised it wasn't posted on here already.
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Published: Saturday, September 04, 2010, 4:01 PM Updated: Monday, September 06, 2010, 12:55 PM

A Bayonne man was shot in the face after he hesitated to give up his wallet during a Jersey City robbery early this morning, according to police report.

Two Jersey City men were also injured in the savage attack, which took place at about 1:45 a.m. at the intersection of Communipaw Avenue and Whiton Street, according to police reports.

The three men had left a party on Pine Street when they were approached by two men in their 20s who asked them for cigarettes. They said they didn?t have any and kept walking, but the men followed and then one of the men pulled out a silver-colored handgun and told the men to get into an alley, according to the reports.

Once in the alley the gunman said, ?give me all you have.? He searched a 19-year-old man from Jersey City and took $16 and a cell phone. Then he smashed the man in the face causing a cut to the man?s ear that required four stitches, according to the report.

The gunman then turned to a 22-year-old from Jersey City and hit him in the face with gun, knocking the man unconscious and injuring his jaw, according to the report.

When the third victim, a 24-year-old man from Avenue C in Bayonne, hesitated to give up his wallet, the gunman put him in a headlock and shot him in the cheek, according to the report.

The men were taken to Jersey City Medical Center.