Jurors deliberate over last 2 'Black Sunday' defendants

A second jury in the "Black Sunday" trial continued to deliberate Tuesday the fate of the landlord and corporate owner of a building in which two firefighters were killed in 2005. Cesar Rios, who ran

News 12 Staff

Feb 18, 2009, 1:09 AM

Updated 5,707 days ago

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A second jury in the "Black Sunday" trial continued to deliberate Tuesday the fate of the landlord and corporate owner of a building in which two firefighters were killed in 2005.
Cesar Rios, who ran the East 178th Street building, and its management company face charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and second-degree reckless endangerment in the deaths of Lt. Curtis Meyran and firefighter John Bellew.
Prosecutors have argued that Rios, the management company and two tenants, Caridad Coste and Rafael Castillo, were responsible for the firefighters' deaths for allegedly erecting illegal partitions inside apartments to collect more rent.
Prosecutors claimed the partitions blocked the fire escape and forced the firefighters to jump four stories to their deaths. A separate jury cleared Coste and Castillo of all charges Feb. 13 after deciding there wasn't enough evidence to prove the partitions blocked the fire escape.
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