Man Convicted in Stray-Bullet Killing of Puerto Rican Olympian’s Mother in Her Connecticut House

A Connecticut man has been convicted of homicide in the stray-bullet killing of the mom of a two-time Olympian rifle shooter from Puerto Rico.

A jury discovered Franklin Robinson, 40, responsible Friday within the death of Mabel Martinez Antongiorgi. The 56-year-old was in her stitching and crafts room in Waterbury when a bullet flew by a wall and hit her within the head on April 9, 2022.

Martinez Antongiorgi’s daughter, Yarimar Mercado Martinez, competed for the household’s native Puerto Rico on the 2016 and pandemic-delayed 2020 Video games. The athlete was in Brazil for a contest when her mom was killed.

A message searching for remark was despatched to her Saturday. On the time of her mom’s loss of life, she anguished in social media posts that she “couldn’t even say goodbye.”

“Why you? Why this fashion? You had been simply sitting in your little home stitching, as you all the time did,” she wrote.

Based on trial testimony, a jealous Robinson was gunning for a person who had stated good day to Robinson’s girlfriend on an earlier day. After quarreling with the person and a few of his mates, Robinson lined up a few folks he knew to assist him go after the person.

The three shot up a automobile parked on Martinez Antongiorgi’s avenue, considering the person was inside it, in keeping with testimony. One other bystander was wounded however survived.

Robinson did not fireplace the deadly bullet, however he was charged with homicide underneath authorized rules that apply to conspirators. Prosecutors portrayed him as main a lethal scheme by focusing on the supposed sufferer and recruiting assist.

His protection questioned the credibility of a key witness: Robinson’s now-former girlfriend, Emily Dyer.

“The case boiled down as to whether or not the jury believed Emily Dyer, and it’s clear that they did,” considered one of Robinson’s attorneys, attorneys Donald Meehan, told the Republican American of Waterbury.

Supervisory Assistant State’s Legal professional Don Therkildsen stated Martinez Antongiorgi and her household “had been capable of obtain justice,” crediting police.

Robinson faces sentencing Nov. 1.

Martinez Antongiorgi and her husband of over 30 years, John Luis Mercado, moved to Waterbury from Puerto Rico just a few years after the U.S. territory endured 2017’s devastating Hurricane Maria. On the time of her loss of life, that they had set a date to resume their marriage ceremony vows, their daughter wrote on the time.

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