April 20, 2017 Staff Report
A Queens man was sentenced to 17 years in prison after beating a shopkeeper in Woodside to death with a door handle last year.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced that 22-year-old Victor Mendoza of Woodside was sentenced to jail after pleading guilty to first degree manslaughter for beating 34-year-old Martin Ouiej to death in March 2016.
“The victim was a young hardworking, family man who had been born in Guatemala and came to this country to make a better life for his family and himself. Instead, his life was drastically cut short by the defendant who viciously assaulted him. His wife is now struggling to keep his business going and raise their three children who don’t understand the whys of what happened to their father,” Brown said. “Hopefully, they can find some solace in knowing that the man responsible for their father’s death will be incarcerated for a lengthy period of time as punishment for his heinous act and to protect society.”
According to charges, a drunk and belligerent Mendoza began verbally berating an employee of the victim, who was smoking a cigarette outside of Ouiej’s store, Tauros Party Supplies at 41-24 54th Street.
When a friend of the employee tried to intervene, Mendoza got more agitated and the friend went in to a lobby of a nearby apartment building to protect himself. Mendoza tried to pull the door open, but only was able to pull the metal handle off the door.
Mendoza walked away, and when he passed by the store again, he swung the metal handle at Ouiej, who grabbed a metal tent pole to defend himself.
The two men struggled and ended up in the street, where Mendoza hit Ouiej in the head with the door handle twice, before fleeing the scene as police began to arrive.
Mendoza has been sentenced to 17 years in prison, followed by five years post release supervision.
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35 Comments
Dee raymond is a racist and anti-white. He should be called out on his racist rants.
Victor is a good man… he just protected him self we could of honestly said RIP VIC instead of RIP MARTIN… yes Vic was drunk that night.. yes he was on drugs… and yes he was arguing with Martins friend but guess what? Martin did not have to leave his store he could of stayed in.. he wasn’t minding his business and that cost him but it also costs Vic.. even thought he got 17 he will be out in like 12
He killed a man, he is clearly not a good man, protecting himself? Wrong. The man who was protecting himself was killed; I wish you could see the whole video but for obvious reasons that won’t happen.
From what i read and what you wrote that was martins employee that he tried to help from a drunk and drugged up person. You wouldn’t help somebody in that situation? Just keep walking?
Martins employee?? Sheesh you need to clean your eyes he was never in that store. Literally Martin would not be killed if he stood in the store. He wanted to be a hero so he got a hero treatment that’s all.
@freemybro. Let’s see how much of a bro you are to “your bro” Victor. After you take Victor in upon his release, we’ll all sit down and add up how much money you put in his commissary account, how many letters you wrote him, how many holidays and birthdays you remembered with a simple card during his incarceration. I bet the grand total is very close to zero.
Lots of people visit Victor but little do you know that… lots of people give him comessary weekly but yet again little do you know… he lives like a king eats what he wants and is on the phone all day making calls so stop it
Hey FMB: From my experience it will all be very short lived, especially when he is transferred upstate. He will be forgotten by his bros and many more. Fact!
I was friends with victor in elementary school, he was always a trouble maker and now it got him locked up, My condolences to the family who lost their loved one
Deport the irish
Mark my words — DeBlasio will be mayor for 17 more years!
So the murderer is 22 and in 17 years he’ll be 39..This current mayor would find him a union job and an apartment when he gets out..He would work 25 years till 65 then retire get a pension and live happily ever after..Is that justice?
And that 17 years is not a mandatory sentence, so he will probably be out in 9 or 10.
Maga- Nobody gets a pension anymore.
Wha????? I do
This country should have stopped people from immigrating here 35-40 yrs ago.
Jimmy jimmied out of the US
You sound ode white just know we all come from the same blood and are all and how can you call others immigrant on stolen land. Yeah he did wrong guess what your people killed hundreds and oh ya live like kings have special privileges And live happily ever after, after all the people ya killed so stfu
what about the second person involved? Did they ever catch him?
He’s white they let him go his name is Jamie he snitched on victor and fled the country
Jamie linehan is the second person involved he’s Irish, that fuckin rat through all the blue on victor and fled the country he started the fight victor went to save him cause he was too pussy to hold his ground…. the media don’t know this but that night Jamie linehan was caught and than he gave up victor and they released him but that ain’t out in the air cause he’s white the 108 precinct is a complete joke
Second guy should be punished too but you are wrong on your story about the “saving” part. I witnessed the attack.
I hope his family finds peace. Thoughts and prayers.
I am from the neighborhood and this story written here is wrong to start with. There was not a handle from the door taken off . Second both men are clearly on camera swinging pipes at each other and I’m more then sure that both men weren’t trying to kill each other . It did happen and it’s totally wrong . But these comments he should be hung and should get life is just ignorant. Both men were both intentionally swinging pipes to hurt each other but again not to kill each other . RIP and my condolences to the family . No one should ever lose a love one
One man was attacking another, the other one was defending himself. Big difference.
Jay, I was one of the witnesses and one who was able to record a video of the whole attack, the killer should be jailed forever I’m telling you.
Recording while on the phone with 911 the reason the guy was brought to justice.
And yes the killer used a handle he pulled off from a door to hit Martin.
17 years is not nearly enough….he should be locked up & the key thrown away
Damnn 17 years…i went to school with the killer
..keep him for the rest of his life .
I’d hang the bastard. But 17 years in the can is no picnic either.
Out in 7 or less.
community* sorry for the typo.
Only 17 years? The killer is literally a waste of space and a waste in our commuinity. Why didn’t we just give him life?
Agree, but why is your name freevic hashtag? Makes no sense, makes it sound like you want him to be free. 17 years in prison not enough for this lowlife, he is young, he can still get out and commit more crimes. Anyone in early 20s can say “let me waste this fool, I’ll do 17-20 yrs and get out”.. easily. Where is the deterrent?
Was there some kind of demonstration today under 7 station on 46th?