‘I would do it again and again’: Man sentenced to 25 years to life in 2017 killing near Barclays Center
Passaro received the maximum sentence for the 2017 shooting death of 47-year-old Vargas, who was killed near Barclays Center while waiting for a date.
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The family of Stephen Vargas emerged from court emotional but relieved Wednesday, after a judge sentenced Matthew Passaro to 25 years to life in prison.
Passaro received the maximum sentence for the 2017 shooting death of 47-year-old Vargas, who was killed near Barclays Center while waiting for a date.
“We finally got justice after eight years,” Vargas’s sister, Marie Minchew, said outside the courtroom.
Prosecutors said Vargas was standing near Atlantic Avenue and 4th Avenue on a September night, when Passaro approached him, yelling. After the two exchanged words, Passaro walked away, changed his clothes, then came back with a loaded .45-caliber pistol, and shot Vargas seven times, killing him.
In court, Passaro insisted he acted in self-defense, despite investigators saying Vargas was unarmed.
“The only reason I had a gun was for protection,” Passaro said.
During his statement, Passaro showed no signs of remorse, defending his criminal history, which includes a pending attempted murder case in California, and accusing Vargas of being part of a motorcycle gang.
“And quite honestly, I wouldn’t change it again,” Passaro said. “I would do it again and again and again.”
After years of court delays, Vargas’s family said the sentence finally brings closure and allows them to focus on remembering the man they lost, especially during the holidays.
