A suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of at least one of two men killed in separate incidents after visiting a New York City gay bar last year, a New York Police Department spokesman said on Sunday.
Jacob Barroso, 30, was charged with murder, robbery, grand theft, and conspiracy in connection with the death of 25-year-old social worker Julio Ramirez, and in a separate incident in which an unidentified victim did not die, police investigators said.
Ramirez and John Umber, a 33-year-old political consultant, were both found dead last spring after visiting a gay bar in the city’s vibrant Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.
The two had left bars with at least one unidentified person before thousands of dollars were withdrawn from their bank accounts using facial recognition on their phones, according to family members.
Last month, the medical examiner’s office ruled their deaths as homicides caused by “drug-facility burglaries”. Several drugs were found in his system, including fentanyl, lidocaine, and cocaine. Barroso was not charged with Umberger’s death, and it is unclear who is responsible for her murder.
Shortly after Barroso’s arrest on Saturday, police requested the public’s assistance on Friday in finding him and two other suspects – Jayquan Hamilton, 35, and Robert DeMayo, 34 – who are believed to be involved in the murder were associated with
Two law enforcement officials confirmed with NBC News last week that a Manhattan grand jury has indicted multiple suspects in connection with the deaths of Umberger and Ramirez. Prosecutors said one of the suspects, Shane Hoskins, had been charged with felony aggravated assault and identity theft. It is unclear whether Barroso, Hamilton, and DeMayo are three of the other defendants, as parts of the indictment are sealed.
According to an indictment, once the victims were “disabled to the extent that their ability to see events occurred”, the five co-conspirators then stole their victims’ cell phones and credit cards and used physical cards and information was used. Victims’ phones themselves to transfer money and make purchases.
Both officers also told NBC News that the five suspects were targeting the victims for financial gain and not because of their sexual orientation. However, he added that the New York City Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force is assisting with the investigation.
In the months following the deaths of Umberger and Ramirez, more gay New Yorkers came forward with accounts, as did police with Ramirez and Umberger. NBC News spoke with several gay men who said they survived similar incidents from December 2021 to October 2022.
The NYPD previously confirmed to NBC News that several groups of criminals were committing similar crimes against men who frequented the city’s gay bars. Police also confirmed that similar crimes were being committed against patrons of bars without any LGBTQ affiliation.
Last week, the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office also confirmed it was investigating “several additional deaths under similar circumstances” to those of Ramirez and Umberger. However, it is unclear whether they were found dead after visiting a gay bar or whether they were linked to the accused suspects.
A spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office said they “could not comment further due to the ongoing criminal investigation.”
Two law enforcement officials also told NBC News that the 26 victims belonged to a different group suspected of committing similar crimes. Authorities said fashion designer Katherine Marie Gallagher, whose death in July was ruled a drug-facilitated homicide by the medical examiner’s office, was one of the victims of the latter group.