Killer of JP 13-year-old Gets 17-Year Sentence

The second of two gang members who attacked and killed an innocent JP 13-year-old as he walked home pleaded guilty to manslaughter today.

Nurudeen Alabi, 21, was originally charged with first-degree murder. Witnesses' refusal to cooperate forced the state to seek the lesser charge, according to District Attorney Dan Conley.

Alabi was sentenced to 17 years for manslaughter in the death of Luis Gerena Jr., who was attacked and riddled with five bullets on Jan. 12, 2007 on basketball courts near the . Alabi's co-defendant, Darell Rodrigues, to 14-15 years on manslaughter and other charges.

Alabi changed his plea to guilty today, just as opening statements were scheduled to begin in his trial in Superior Court in downtown Boston. Alabi, 17 at the time he helped kill Gerena, wore a burgundy dress shirt and black tie as he sat in a witness box and heard "victim impact statements" from Gerena's family.

Gerena's mother, Wendy Jiminian, sobbed as she held a photo of her son and faced Alabi.

"You took his life. You killed me with him," Jiminian said. "You buried me with my son. You don’t know what you did to my family. You killed us all."

Prosecutors say Gerena was an innocent teen with no involvement with gangs. Alabi and Rodrigues, who prosecutors said were affiliated with a gang based at nearby Academy Homes, targeted the 13-year-old after asking where he lived and, upon hearing he lived in a Heath Street housing development, began the attack that left the young man dead, prosecutors said in court as they recounted the facts of the case. At the time, crews from Heath Street and Academy Homes were in a cycle of attacking each other, prosecutors said.

Gerena's father, Luis Gerena Sr. had a statement read on his behalf.

"I always remember waiting for him to come home while he was dying," his statement read. "Picture yourself dying alone of gunshots on a cold January night…now picture yourself as a 13-year-old child."

Prosecutors said family members of the victim agreed to seeking the lesser charges of manslaughter. The decision was caused largely by the refusal of the "two most compelling witnesses," Destiny Gunn and Lakeema Rochelle, to help, said Conley in an interview after court was dismissed.

Gunn and Lakeema drove Alabi and Rodrigues to the Jackson Square T but did not take part in the attack on Gerena. Conley said their refusal to cooperate was guided by a "ridiculous, unjustifiable" code of silence.

Both women were arrested and were being held. Gunn is scheduled to face perjury charges, said Jake Wark of the District Attorney's Office.

After the four returned from Alabi and Rodrigues' attack on Gerena, they watched TV. When a news report about the shooting in Jackson Square came on, Alabi laughed at the broadcast and said, "We got him," according to Assistant District Attorney Mark Hallal.

Alabi pleaded guilty to four counts: Manslaughter, assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm and witness intimidation. The maximum sentence for manslaughter is 20 years.

As part of the sentence, Alabi must have no contact with Rochelle and the family of Gerena.