Drugs and guns found in Bronx home where child, migrants were living: police

THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) – A group of people, including migrants and a child, were living in a Bronx basement where illegal drugs and guns were found last week, police said.

The discovery was made in a basement apartment in a home at 3259 Hull Ave. on March 27, according to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell.

Police officers initially responded to the home after someone called 911 about a man with a gun, Chell said.

“When [officers] show up, they see a male in a driveway toward the backyard pointing a firearm at somebody, and there’s a crowd of people there,” Chell said. “They chased the male into the basement … They tackled him and recovered a firearm.”

Police identified the suspect with the firearm as 24-year-old Hector DeSousa-Villalta, a migrant from Venezuela.

Chell said DeSousa-Villalta was previously arrested in Yonkers for allegedly shooting and injuring a man during a fight over a woman last August. He was charged with attempted murder and assault in the Yonkers case, according to Chell.

“However, due to the other party’s noncommittal to go forward with the case, he’s now walking around,” Chell said. “He had to be released. He was remanded but released because they couldn’t get cooperation.”

Police also arrested 22-year-old Javier Alborno at the home in the Bronx after he allegedly tried flee with a gun after the officers showed up, according to Chell.

Alborno, who’s also a Venezuelan migrant, was previously arrested last September for being in possession of a loaded firearm, police said. He was out on supervised release, according to Chell.

“Why is a person locked up for a firearm out on the street on supervised release?” Chell said expressing disapproval.

Chell said police recovered four guns, including a ghost gun, from the basement apartment in the Bronx. Police also found bags of cocaine and ketamine in the home, according to Chell.

At least eight people may have been living in the basement, including a 7-year-old child, Chell said.

Chell said the landlord didn’t know the people living in the basement apartment, indicating that they may have been squatters. The landlord has been in court trying to get the group out of the home, according to Chell.