A Bronx man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a violent gunpoint robbery in which he brutally beat and choked a 12-year-old girl inside her own apartment building in Mott Haven, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced.
Gabriel Narvaez, 46, formerly of East 164th Street, was sentenced earlier this month by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Jeanette Rodriguez-Morick to 20 years in prison on charges of first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary. He also received a seven-year sentence for second-degree assault, which will run concurrently, followed by five years of post-release supervision. A jury convicted him on November 12, 2024.
“The defendant followed the girl home and brutally attacked her at the front door of her family’s apartment,” Clark said in a statement. “Despite her injuries, she fought back. Hopefully, this sentence will bring a measure of justice to this brave child.”
According to trial evidence, the attack took place on March 9, 2020, around 3:50 p.m. on East 139th Street. The victim had just returned home from school when Narvaez followed her inside the building, pulled a gun, and launched a violent assault. He pistol-whipped, punched, kicked, and choked the girl before stealing her cellphone and apartment keys.
The attack was interrupted when neighbors intervened, prompting Narvaez to flee. However, he left behind a surgical mask and baseball cap, which were later tested for DNA. The forensic evidence linked him to the crime, and he was arrested on November 19, 2020.
The young victim suffered severe injuries, including gashes to her head, body bruising, and internal bleeding. After receiving emergency treatment, she required continued medical care and psychiatric counseling.
