Two men indicted in fatal beating of Bronx fruit vendor

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Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced Thursday that two men have been indicted in connection with the fatal beating of a street fruit vendor on East Fordham Road. The attack, which occurred in September, claimed the life of 56-year-old Leslie Sanchez, who confronted the defendants over an alleged theft from his fruit stand.

“The defendants allegedly beat the victim with a baseball bat after he confronted them for stealing from his fruit stand. The victim was repeatedly clubbed in the head and died two days later. The defendants will be held accountable for this brutality,” Clark said.

Terrence Downes, 44, of Queens, has been indicted on charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. He was arraigned on Oct. 10 before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Brenda Rivera and remanded back into custody while awaiting trial. Downes is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 23. Romel Jarrett, 37, of the Bronx, faces charges of first-degree manslaughter and is expected to be arraigned at a later date.

According to the investigation, the incident took place on Sept. 12, when the pair, acting together, got into a dispute with Sanchez after he accused them of stealing from his fruit stand. The confrontation escalated, eventually moving toward the Fordham Road subway station.

Sanchez, who had initially followed the defendants into the station, returned to the street, where the attackers, armed with a baseball bat, approached him from behind. Sanchez was struck multiple times, including seven blows to the head. He was rushed to Saint Barnabas Hospital but succumbed to his injuries two days later.