BY SHAYE WEAVER | In concert with the FBI, the NYPD has arrested a suspect in the 1995 murders of two teenagers on an East Harlem rooftop.
After two decades, Ramon Solla, 45, was arrested and indicted on Thursday, Oct. 17 for the deaths of Ricky Santiago and Christopher Torro, who were both 17.
Authorities say that on March 3, 1995, Solla shot both Santiago and Torro in their heads over a heroin deal. The case went cold, but officers continued to work on finding the perpetrator.
“Time doesn’t wear away the guilt of anyone who takes a human life, and it doesn’t erode our determination to find those responsible,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said in a statement.
“Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the FBI and the NYPD, Ramon Solla will now face justice for his alleged role in the brutal murder of two teenage boys,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said. “We hope today’s arrest brings some measure of comfort to the victims’ families.”
Solla was indicted on two counts of using a firearm to commit murder and two counts of murder in furtherance of a drug crime. If found guilty, he could face life in prison or death, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He will appear before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.
“The ability of investigators to bring justice for these two victims and provide a sense of closure to their loved ones is paramount,” NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said. “The identification and arrest of the suspect in this case would not have been possible without the collaboration between the NYPD and our law-enforcement partners.”
Solla is currently being held at the MCC New York correctional center, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Information for Solla’s attorney wasn’t immediately available.
