Reward Offered For Catching Killer In Year-Old Murder Here

Reward Offered For Catching Killer In Year-Old Murder Here By Charles Rogers

The NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Unit will pay up to $2,000 in cash for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Pedro Newton, 35, who was shot to death over a year ago in front of one of the apartment buildings in the Breukelen Houses complex in northern Canarsie.

Newton’s body was found inside the trunk of his 1990 Honda on January 29th, 2000 in the lot in front of 543 East 108th Street by a would-be thief, police said, noting the robber "got the scare of his life" when he opened the trunk of the vehicle at about 6:40 p.m. to find Newton’s lifeless body.

"The guy was so shook up he called 911," said one of the investigating officers at the time, "and he absolutely denied he had anything to do with the theft or the murder." Apparently the thief left the scene after calling cops.

When police arrived, they found Newton had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The body was in a fetal position and wrapped in "layers and layers" of garbage bags and blankets. It was then bound tightly with duct tape. The car had apparently been stolen from in front of the victim’s house in East Flatbush and was taken to the dark parking lot.

Reports indicated Newton was a city bus driver who worked out of the Flatbush Avenue depot in the Mill Basin-Marine Park area.

Anyone with information is requested to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. You don’t have to give your name and you will be paid by code number, police said.