Accused 'Numbers' Serial Killer Salvatore Perrone Stares Down Victims' Relatives At Arraignment
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Staten Island salesman accused of killing three Brooklyn shopkeepers pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Wednesday.
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Accused serial murderer Salvatore Perrone spoke up angrily in his arraignment, demanding to see his attorney rather than the one appointed to him by the courts, CBS 2's Kathryn Brown reported.
"Excuse me your honor. Can I say something?" Perrone asked the judge. "Everything has been taken away from me my -- money, my cell phone and any numbers I have," Perrone said.
Perrone, 63, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the killings of three shopkeepers over the last four months.
The first store owner to be killed was Mohamed Gebeli. He was found dead in his Bay Ridge clothing store Valentino Fashion at 7718 5th Ave., on July 6.
On Aug. 2, shopkeeper Isaac Kadare was found gunned down at his store, Amazing 99 Cents Deal shop at 1877 86th St.
The last homicide happened Nov. 16 at the She She Boutique at 836 Flatbush Ave., where store owner Rahmatollah Vahidipour was found fatally shot, police said.
Police said Perrone is the man seen in surveillance video taken near the scene of the last murder, carrying a duffel bag.
Detectives said they found a sawed-off rifle used in all three attacks in a duffel bag in a closet at the home of Perrone's girlfriend. They also found .22-caliber ammunition, black gloves, women's clothing, a bloody knife and a bottle of bleach, police said.
Perrone's fingerprint was lifted from the murder weapon, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. Kelly said it was 'reasonable to assume' Perrone would have killed again.
Sitting inside the courtroom were family members of the three Brooklyn shop owners Perrone is accused of killing.
In the middle of the 10-minute arraignment, Perrone turned and stared down their relatives, Brown reported.
"I wanted to reach him. I wanted to get my hands on him," said the son of victim Morad Gibeli after the hearing.
Perrone was ordered to undergo a psych evaluation. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb 22.
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