A man accused of fatally shooting a deli worker during a robbery on the Upper East Side last week has been arraigned on murder charges, prosecutors say.
Kimond Cyrus, 39, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a complaint filed with the Manhattan district attorney’s office shows.
Cyrus was arrested in the Bronx on Thursday, nearly a week after he allegedly shot 67-year-old worker Sueng Choi in the head at Daona, a deli on East 81st Street.
What You Need To Know
- Kimond Cyrus, 39, has been arraigned on murder charges in connection with 67-year-old deli worker Sueng Choi's death, prosecutors say
- Cyrus is accused of fatally shooting Choi in the head during a robbery at Daona, a deli on the Upper East Side
- Police said Cyrus was also wanted in connection with three other gunpoint robberies
A witness told police he was inside Daona just before 11:30 p.m. on March 3 when a gunman wearing a white hazmat suit and a face mask approached him, flashed his weapon and opened a bag, the complaint said.
After the witness placed money on the floor, the gunman grabbed him, pushed him to the ground and asked a store employee for cash, but the employee refused, according to the complaint.
The gunman pulled the witness up from the floor, held the gun to his head and motioned the employee to the back of the store, the complaint said.
At that point, the witness managed to run out of the deli; moments later, he heard a single gunshot and spotted the gunman leaving the store, the complaint added.
A second witness told police he found Choi unconscious and bleeding from the head behind the deli counter soon after, prosecutors said. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene, the NYPD said.
Police on Thursday said Cyrus was also wanted in connection with three other gunpoint robberies, at Sunset Bagels in Flatbush on Feb. 25, Super Deli Grocery in Greenpoint on March 1 and Yaya Deli and Grocery in the Melrose section of the Bronx on March 3.
Detectives relied on surveillance footage, tips from the public and witness interviews to identify Cyrus as the suspect wanted in connection with the shooting and robberies, police said.
Cyrus, who is being held without bail, is set to appear in court again on March 15, the DA’s office said. His attorney didn’t immediately respond to request for comment Friday.