Connecticut man gets 33 years in prison for stray-bullet killing of Olympian's mother
WATERBURY, Conn. — A Connecticut man was sentenced to 33 years in prison on Tuesday for the stray-bullet killing of a Puerto Rican Olympic athlete's mother.
, 23, of New Haven, was one of three men charged in the death of Mabel Martinez Antongiorgi on April 9, 2022. The 56-year-old woman was sewing in her home in Waterbury, about 30 miles southwest of Hartford, when a bullet flew through a wall and hit her in the head.
Martinez Antongiorgi's daughter, Yarimar Mercado Martinez, competed for the family's native Puerto Rico in rifle shooting at the Olympics in 2016, 2021 and 2024. She was in Brazil for another competition when her mother was killed.
Greene pleaded guilty to murder in February. His lawyer did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment after Tuesday's sentencing in Waterbury Superior Court.
According to court testimony, the fatal shooting stemmed from a dispute that one of the suspects, Franklin Robinson, had with a man who said hello to his girlfriend. Robinson, Greene and another man shot up a car parked on Martinez Antongiorgi's street, thinking the man was inside it. A bullet went into Martinez Antongiorgi's home. Another bystander was wounded but survived.
A jury convicted Robinson of murder and other charges in 2023 and he was later sentenced to 90 years in prison.
The third suspect, Levi Brock, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in the case, including murder, and awaits trial.
At the time of her mother's death, Mercado Martinez lamented in social media posts that she "couldn't even say goodbye."
"Why you? Why this way?" she wrote. "You were just sitting in your little house sewing, as you always did."
Martinez Antongiorgi and her husband of over 30 years, John Luis Mercado, moved to Waterbury from Puerto Rico a few years after the U.S. territory endured 2017's devastating Hurricane Maria. At the time of her death, they had set a date to renew their wedding vows, their daughter wrote at the time.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Evening Standard
an hour ago
- Evening Standard
Teenager who died in hit and run crash had just arrived in UK ‘for better future'
Madeleine McCann: where the family are now, from Kate's moving memoir to the brother tipped for the Olympics Memoirs and Olympic swimming: where Maddie McCann's family are now
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Leander Club updates code of conduct after claims
A prestigious rowing club says it has updated its code of conduct after being accused of failing to properly investigate sexual assault allegations. Women at the Leander Club, in Henley-on-Thames, walked out over personal safety fears and refused to train with male teammates as a result, an ITV News investigation reported. Both men accused of sexual assault and harassment denied the allegations. In a statement to the BBC, Leander's chairman Pete Bridge said athletes were "at the heart of this club" and that a "strict and confidential process" had been followed "to protect those involved". "We continually review our safeguarding measures and have updated these in line with our ambition to ensure rowing is inclusive and accessible for the next wave of athletes pursuing their dreams of international sporting success," he said. The club has been dubbed a "medal factory" for its record of supplying rowers at the Olympics and Paralympics over the years. But the ITV News report revealed disharmony at the club after two of its male athletes were accused of serious sexual assault and harassment 'Strict procedures' In the first case the club found ''insufficient evidence'' to launch a full disciplinary process, while the second was overturned on appeal. The accused was allowed to return to the club following a short led to female rowers refusing to use the club's gym at the same time as male members and protesting by wearing white ribbons on their response to the report, the club said: "Leander Club takes seriously all issues relating to the safeguarding of our athletes. "We have strict procedures in place to carefully examine any formal complaints and regularly review our club disciplinary processes to ensure they are fit for purpose, treating our athletes fairly and with respect."In addition to an updated code of conduct, we have partnered with a specialist external provider to ensure members of the club know without doubt the standards we expect and the ways to highlight any individual misconduct. "When issues are raised, we will continue to take immediate action where necessary to protect the welfare of our athletes." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Evening Standard
an hour ago
- Evening Standard
D-Day veterans mark anniversary to ‘remember our friends who never came home'
Madeleine McCann: where the family are now, from Kate's moving memoir to the brother tipped for the Olympics Memoirs and Olympic swimming: where Maddie McCann's family are now
