By Jeff Lipton
Rasheed Watson of Paterson, N.J., was found guilty on all counts he faced - assault, robbery, burglary and weapons possession - in connection with the home invasion at 47 West End Ave. John Henry Romano Jr., a Far Rockaway boy who was sleeping over at his cousin's house, was caught in the crossfire and seriously injured.
Watson faces a maximum 25-year prison term when he is sentenced on Oct. 29.
The trial, which began on Sept. 4, included the testimony of nearly 30 witnesses, and the jury deliberated for almost three days before returning verdicts.
"I am very pleased with the verdict," said Melissa Montalban, John's mother. "Justice was done. It doesn't change what he did to my son, but at least he won't hurt anyone else's child."
Watson is the second defendant convicted in connection with the home invasion. In July, Tyreek Williams, 22, of Starrett City, Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to assault, robbery, burglary and weapons possession and was sentenced to 21 years in prison by Nassau County Court Judge Jerald Carter.
Investigators are hoping to soon charge a third man in connection with the incident.
"This case is everyone's worst nightmare," said Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice. "Armed robbers breaking into your home late at night, with guns drawn and your family inside the home - these cases are a top priority, and we will continue to hold these defendants accountable for what they have done. It is only a matter of time before the last suspect is apprehended and is held accountable for what he's done to this family and this child."
The home invasion began at 11:10 that night, when three men, two of them armed with handguns, forced their way into the home of Albert and Nora Aloisi through an unlocked front door, prosecutors said. Once inside, the robbers ordered the occupants of the home to their knees and demanded that they turn over all of their valuables.
At that point, Albert Aloisi, who was in his bedroom at the rear of the house, retrieved his licensed .357 revolver, stepped into the hallway of the house and confronted the robbers. Two other occupants of the home then attempted to force Watson out the front door. As Watson tried to push his way back into the house, he fired several shots into the living room, striking Noor Mayan, who was also visiting, in the left arm and the 9-year-old boy in the eye. The third robber, who has not yet been apprehended, jumped out a first-floor window during the shootout. The robbers fled the scene after the shooting.
According to prosecutors, police recovered numerous teeth and pieces of a jawbone at the scene. A black size 11 right Nike sneaker was found on the sidewalk outside the home. A short time after the incident, Williams was dropped off at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn with gunshot wounds to the face, left thumb and left leg. He was missing some teeth and part of his jawbone, and was admitted to the hospital wearing one sneaker. Williams was arrested on Oct. 5, 2006, and charged with robbery, assault, burglary and weapons charges.
Watson was arrested in Paterson on Jan. 10 and charged with the same crimes.
Watson's attorney, Greg Madey of Mineola, said he was surprised that the jury found his client guilty on all counts. Unlike Williams, no physical evidence was found to tie Watson to the crime, said Madey, who added that he defended Watson as a victim of mistaken identity.
Madey said that one of the most damaging pieces of evidence presented during the trial was Watson's cell phone records, which, according to prosecutors, showed that he tried to call Williams's mother after the shooting to alert her that her son had been shot.
John Romano Jr., who is now 10 and in sixth grade at P.S. 43 in Far Rockaway, was fitted with a prosthetic right eye and spent several months in a physical rehabilitation center recovering from his injury. "He was involved in a life-changing incident," Montalban said of her son, who receives therapy four times a week at school and twice a week at home. "He's an amazing kid. He accepts it and deals with it. I'm very proud of him. He's doing a lot better than his parents."
During the trial, the boy was one of the witnesses called to testify by the prosecution. Montalban said she was extremely proud of the way he handled himself in court. "It was a nerve-wracking three weeks," she said. "But I made it my business to go every single day. I wanted to see justice carried out. If they give [Watson] 50 or 100 years in prison, it's not going to change what he did. I hope he thinks about what he's done for the next 25 years, but I hope they give him more."
Madey said he would try to convince the court not to give Watson the maximum sentence.
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
