BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, Brooklyn (PIX11) --- A man is accused of choking his friend to death on Sunday during a fight outside a Brooklyn building where the two lived, authorities said.
Eduardo Martinez, 42, claims the victim, Brandon Paulino, 30, threw the first punch before he got on Paulino's back and put him in a chokehold during the scuffle outside 333 MacDougal St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant at around 1:40 p.m., according to the criminal complaint. Martinez and the victim were acquaintances who lived in the building, sources said.
Prosecutors said the two men started arguing after Paulino accused the defendant of allegedly attacking a 3-year-old girl. The nearly 400-pound Paulino got tired during the fight and was lying on his stomach when Martinez allegedly wrapped his hands around his neck and strangled him, according to court documents.
Martinez told cops he was not trying to kill him, prosecutors said.
Authorities found Paulino unconscious on the sidewalk and rushed him to the hospital, but he could not be saved, police said. The medical examiner said the victim died of chest compression and asphyxiation of the neck, according to the complaint.
Martinez was arrested and charged with manslaughter on Tuesday, police said. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday, according to court records. Bail was set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond.
The defendant's attorney could not immediately be reached Wednesday.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
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