The family of a Hoboken man who was gunned down in the fall has filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that officials knew about an “illegal liquor stand” at the housing authority and did nothing about it until after the homicide.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“For the several months leading up to the shooting, a makeshift stand was routinely operated for the illegal sale of alcoholic beverages outdoors late into the night and into the early morning hours,” the seven-page, three-count lawsuit, filed in Hudson County Superior Court yesterday, says.
” … At the time of the September 25, 2022 shooting, which occurred around 3:00 a.m., the proprietors of the illegal stand had already sold large quantities of alcohol to dozens of residents and other individuals who had congregated upon the Hoboken Housing Authority property since the previous day’s dusk, causing many of the aforesaid individuals to become visibly intoxicated.”
According to the suit, where Evilyn Aviles, Christopher Garcia’s mother, and his brother, Jeffrey Garcia, are suing the city, HHA, police department, and John Does/governmental entities 1-10, the stand was commonly situated at or about the 501 Marshall Drive basketball court.
Deon Williams, 25, of Jersey City, who was charged with Christopher Garcia’s murder by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in November, allegedly consumed alcohol at the liquor stand before a physical confrontation ensued.
“On September 25, 2022, Mr. Garcia was shot first in the leg (at or about the Subject Premises) and then later in the chest by a patron of an illegal liquor stand that had been set up for months, continuously serving alcohol to the residents of the Subject Premises and adjacent affordable housing well into the night and early morning hours,” the suit claims.
Through their attorney Eric Warner, Aviles and Jeffrey Garcia assert that the liquor stand had been operating for months prior to the homicide, often leading to “fighting and similar mayhem,” but no one from the city or housing authority ever attempted to shut it down.
“The illegal liquor stand, serving unauthorized beverages outdoors and into the early morning hours, closely situated to all local public housing projects, created an unstable and highly dangerous situation, which eventually resulted in Mr. Garcia’s death.”
The suit is seeking damages for survivorship, wrongful death, and negligent infliction of emotional distress since Jeffrey Garcia witnessed his brother get shot and killed.
A GoFundMe page for Christopher Garcia, who was 28 years old when he was murdered, raised $13,914 from 203 donors. He was also remembered as an entrepreneur who had a fashion line and a community organizer that had hosted events and charitable drives.
A city spokeswoman said they do not comment on pending litigation.
Sounds like the makings of another big expensive lawsuit for Hoboken on Ravi Bhalla’s watch.
Yeah, the illegal liquor stand is all to blame; not the Latin King tattoo on his neck.
Racist comments from the new faction of Hoboken MAGA
Lmao, he was never in a gang and having tattoos doesn’t mean anything it’s form of art ! An illegal stand that should have been controlled by hpd , they are quick to stop you on Washington at and ticket you for an open beer but won’t stop a whole stand that has been there for hours selling seems crazy to me … none of this would have happened if they sent them home with all their illegal BS. The one who sold the liquor is just as guilty because that was her partner who murder someone innocent who even helped him while he was getting his a** beat by her own brother and she knew what he was doing ! Don’t be so quick to judge without knowing exactly what’s going on
Wow that’s what you got out of the story a Latin king tattoo open your eyes people a young man was killed by a man who doesn’t live here and never was part of hoboken the girlfriend was selling liquor and she doesn’t live in hoboken neither and hoboken police dept never shut it down why because only the rookies are sent to that area who are basically scared to do anything that’s called negligence
Fric and Frac of Hoboken have their candidate who picked up petitions the same day he registered to vote!
Nice way to back stab Ramos!
Mayor Ravi Bhalla hired Public Safety Director Ken Ferrante and elevated Police Chief Steven Aguilar and hired Marci Rubin as a Senior Public Information Assistant .
With all these new big salaried Public Safety hires Hoboken feels less safe.
Safe from what?
Not safe from another tax hike
Dont forget Anthony Romano’s 2nd gig as Assistant Public Safety Director for 50K
Hoboken is the Home to a Homeless self inflicted homeless plague in the streets
Open shooting of drugs and bullets near the HHA
Wild motorcycles on Sinatra Drive by 15th street
The only thing we see them cracking down are is a taco wagon and an occasional bike on a sidewalk or a store with an unapproved paper sign…
Not to joke, but maybe this poor guy can’t afford to live in the new elite Hoboken- a city where there’s Brownstone owners like the politicians or you’re getting 24% rent increases in the Unionized buildings that donate to Team Bhalla through their Labor PACs