1 hour ago
3
A ruthless robber who fatally battered a Queens pawn-shop owner — even swiping a ring off his finger as he lay dying — landed at least 25 years behind bars Monday.
Rodolfo Lopez-Portillo, 52, was hit with a prison term of 25 years to life by a Queens judge in the shockingly violent murder of 60-year-old Arasb Shoughi inside Global Pawn Shop in the middle of the day March 28, 2022, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
“Nothing can undo what happened, but we hope today’s sentence … provides a measure of solace to Mr. Shoughi’s loved ones,” DA Melinda Katz said in a statement.
Lopez-Portillo, clad in a black face mask, black gloves and sunglasses, sold two wristwatches for cash to Shoughi around 1 p.m. that day before carrying out his sickening attack when the Hollis business owner turned his back on the killer to put the new items in a display case, according to prosecutors.
The killer repeatedly thwacked his victim until he dropped to the floor and began bleeding profusely.
The violent thief then raided the back of the store for coins and jewelry before also snatching a ring off Shoughi’s finger and pummeling him further until he was lifeless, according to the district attorney’s office.
When a woman entered the shop, Lopez-Portillo struck Shoughi three more times in the head and then fled, prosecutors said.
Cops initially suspected the helpless owner had been shot because the blows to his head were so savage.
The robber then fled to Baltimore for two weeks while Shoughi, also known as Ross, succumbed to his head and brain injuries April 17, 2022.
“Ross was full of life; he radiated positivity, joy and love,” his family wrote on a fundraising page, according to an April 2022 Queens Chronicle article.
“He went above and beyond to make those he loved know he was there for them, never expecting anything in return. His loss is an unfathomable tragedy that his loved ones and community will struggle with for years to come.”
Lopez-Portillo was captured at a Greyhound bus station, and his suitcase contained some of the coins linked to Global Pawn Shop, prosecutors said.
He was convicted of murder, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon last month, but his lawyer told The Post his client is ready to fight the conviction on appeal.
“And I think that there is a very significant chance that the conviction will be reversed on appeal,” said lawyer Joseph Amsel, who claimed there were errors during the trial that hurt his client.
“He maintains his innocence,” he said.
English (US)