Suspect in fatal shooting of 7-month-old in Brooklyn pleads not guilty
One of the suspects in the fatal shooting of a 7-month-old girl in Brooklyn two weeks ago pleaded not guilty Tuesday and is being held without bail.
Matthew Rodriguez, 18, was allegedly involved in the stray-bullet shooting that killed Kaori Patterson-Moore on April 1 in East Williamsburg.
"I didn't know he was gonna pull the trigger"
Police say Rodriguez was driving a moped with 21-year-old Amuri Greene on the back. Greene fired the fatal shot before the two took off, prosecutors say.
"I didn't do it. I didn't know it was gonna happen. It's not my fault. I didn't know he was gonna pull the trigger," Rodriguez said following his arrest.
Rodriguez was charged with second-degree murder, attempted murder and assault, among others.
"The evidence is very strong this case, when you look at the totality of the evidence, coming up the wrong way, circling around," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.
Prosecutors allege that after the shooting, the two suspects drove the wrong way and crashed into oncoming traffic.
"When the handgun his codefendant used to fire those shots was ejected during the crash and fell on the street, it was this defendant who picked it back up and handed it back to his codefendant before the two of them drove off," a prosecutor said.
Greene is facing a host of charges, including second-degree murder, attempted murder and endangering the welfare of a child. His arraignment will happen on Wednesday.
On just the second-degree murder charge, both men would face 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
What happened to Kaori Patterson-Moore?
The little girl was struck by a bullet while in a stroller at Moore and Humboldt streets on April 1. Her mother ducked into a nearby store when she heard gunshots. Then, she noticed her baby bleeding.
Kaori's father rushed her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The bullet also grazed the victim's 2-year-old brother, according to DA Gonzalez.
Investigators believe the shooting may have been gang-related.
Family remembers their baby girl
Family and community members attended the funeral for Kaori on Monday night.
Godfather Raheem Jennings said Kaori's mother, Lianna Charles-Moore, is facing an unimaginable loss.
"It was horrible. They had to take her out. She ran out crying, very hysterical, and was chased out by the support system," he said.
Charles-Moore previously told CBS News New York that Kaori was always laughing, smiling and brightening her family's day.
