DARNELL LEE SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDER OF 85-YEAR-OLD KEW GARDENS HILLS WOMAN ON HER WAY TO SYNAGOGUE

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that Darnell Lee, 27, of Flushing, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of 85-year-old Celia Hoffberg during a robbery that occurred on March 24th in Kew Gardens Hills as she was on her way to synagogue. He also received three concurrent sentences of 15 years for the robberies of three other woman.

District Attorney Brown said, "The death of Mrs. Hoffberg left a deep void in the Kew Gardens Hills community. Mrs. Hoffberg was a respected and vital member of her neighborhood and synagogue and many of her friends as well as her relatives have expressed the enormity of the loss that her death leaves in their lives. The defendant's long prison sentence is more than justified." The sentence was imposed today by Supreme Court Justice Robert Hanophy.

According to the District Attorney, Mrs. Hoffberg was murdered at about 9:40 A.M. on March 24, 1998 in front of 150-11 77th Road. As she made her way westbound on 77th Road the defendant got out of his car, came up behind her, punched her in the back, knocked her down, stole her bag containing $68 and other personal items and escaped in the car. People on the street saw the victim on the sidewalk and summoned the police. Later that day, the defendant robbed a 36-year-old pregnant woman on Highland Avenue. He also robbed a 62-year-old woman on March 23rd at 142nd Street and a 53-year-old woman on March 22nd as she walked along 134th Street.

The defendant was arrested on March 27th after police linked the car, a light blue Ford Taurus, used in the robberies to the defendant.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant District Attorney Joshua S. Mandell of District Attorney Brown's Homicide Investigations Bureau, which is under the supervision of Bureau Chief Peter T. Reese, and by Assistant District Attorney Carmencita Gutierrez, of the Homicide Trials Bureau which is under the overall supervision of Daniel A. Saunders. The investigation and prosecution was under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Gregory L. Lasak.