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Hollis Resident Convicted for the 2022 Fatal Bludgeoning of Jamaica Estates Pawn Shop Owner April 22, 2026 (0 comments)
Queens, NY--A jury found 51-year-old Rodolfo Lopez-Portillo guilty on April 15 for the 2022 bludgeoning death of a local pawn shop owner. The Hollis resident faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison following convictions on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
[Image via iStock.com/Alexander Sikov]
According to a report by QNS, the incident took place on March 28, 2022, at the Global Pawn Shop on Jamaica Avenue. Trial testimony established that Lopez-Portillo entered the premises wearing a mask and gloves, sold two watches to 60-year-old Arasb Shoughi, and then attacked Shoughi with a metal pipe when the owner turned his back.
The victim, a resident of Jamaica Estates, sustained fatal head injuries and died on April 17, 2022.
The update noted that Lopez-Portillo stole jewelry and personal items, including a ring from the dying victim, before fleeing to Baltimore, Maryland. Authorities tracked the defendant to a Greyhound bus station using surveillance video and fingerprint evidence. He was apprehended on May 5, 2022, with a suitcase containing stolen merchandise and was later extradited to Queens.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated that the defendant has been held accountable for the brutal attack and faces significant incarceration, as reported by the outlet. Sentencing is scheduled for May 11 under Queens Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis.
Read the news report by QNS here.