By Tiffany Williams –
A Brooklyn killer who turned East New York into a war zone with two daytime ambushes has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars with no chance of parole.
Charles Hernandez, 52, of East New York, was ordered by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to die in prison after a jury convicted him in May of three murders carried out in the summer of 2020. Prosecutors said Hernandez donned disguises, armed himself with high-capacity weapons, and executed his victims in broad daylight, leaving families shattered and a neighborhood terrorized.
“This defendant’s crimes were ruthless and deliberate, cutting short three lives and leaving their families with grief that will last a lifetime,” District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. “While gun violence in Brooklyn is at record lows, we cannot lose sight of the devastation caused by horrific acts like these and the lasting impact they have on entire communities. Today’s sentence brings accountability and makes clear that this kind of brutality will never be tolerated in our borough.”
Hernandez’s conviction included one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, weapons charges, and reckless endangerment. It capped off a case that prosecutors called one of the most cold-blooded killing sprees in recent Brooklyn history.
The rampage began on June 20, 2020, just before lunchtime. Kenneth Singleton, 35, was outside his home near Milford Street and Blake Avenue washing his car when Hernandez crept up from behind. Wearing a disguise, Hernandez shot Singleton multiple times in the head at point-blank range. Neighbors ran for cover. Singleton collapsed on the sidewalk and died instantly.
A week later, Hernandez struck again — this time in even more brazen fashion. At about 12:30 p.m. on June 27, he marched up Van Siclen Street disguised in a blonde wig and long coat. Sitting on the stoop of her home was 39-year-old Stephanie Perkins with 23-year-old Chioke Thompson. Without warning, Hernandez unleashed a barrage of rifle fire, mowing both down in front of stunned residents. The two victims died where they sat, riddled with bullets.
Not satisfied, Hernandez stepped over their bodies and stormed into Perkins’ house, firing shots throughout the first floor. Witnesses said children and other residents scrambled for their lives as bullets tore through walls and furniture. Prosecutors said the attack could easily have claimed more lives.
Investigators determined Hernandez’s motive stemmed from a simmering dispute with a man connected to the victims. The killings, they said, were targeted acts of revenge that nevertheless put an entire block at risk.
Hernandez fled the state after the second ambush, triggering a manhunt that ended on July 9, 2020, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Members of the Regional Fugitive Task Force and state police cornered him after days on the run.
His co-defendant, 52-year-old Liza Jenkins of East New York, was convicted in May of hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence after helping Hernandez following the first murder. She awaits sentencing.
For East New York, the murders were a brutal reminder of a darker era when shootings were a daily reality. Residents who witnessed Hernandez’s rampage have carried the trauma for years. The victims’ families sat through the trial and sentencing, listening to prosecutors describe how a man armed with disguises and assault-style firepower decided to turn their loved ones into targets.