DA: Two Suffolk slayings were gang-related

Two men about to start their workdays were executed in their cars simply because they'd inadvertently crossed paths with a high-level gang member, Suffolk prosecutors said Tuesday.

Road crew flagman Raymond Hirt was shot because he "disrespected" Reginald Ross, 33, of Yaphank, by making him wait at a construction site on Portion Road in Ronkonkoma in May, said Assistant District Attorney Robert Biancavilla. Both cases had been unsolved, police said.

Five months after Hirt's death, John Williams was killed only because Ross wanted to lure a friend of Williams' to his funeral, where he intended to take the life of that man, too, said District Attorney Thomas Spota. Williams had begged for his life, according to a statement by Ross' co-defendant, but Ross responded by shooting him in the face.

Luis Cherry, 21, of Queens, is also charged in the killing.

"Mr. Ross stalked these individuals, laid in wait for them, walked up to them and shot them," Biancavilla said as Ross was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and possession of weapons, drugs and stolen property. "Mr. Ross is a cold-blooded killer who has absolutely no regard for life."

Suffolk County Court Judge James Hudson ordered Ross and Cherry held without bail.

"I've prosecuted a lot of murders, but both of these individuals are among the most cold-blooded killers I've ever seen," Spota said.

Spota said Ross, a high-ranking member of the Crips, killed Hirt, 51, of Mastic Beach, because he got stuck in traffic at a construction site where Hirt was working. Ross complained, and Hirt told him there was nothing he could do. Ross told others Hirt had "disrespected him," Spota said, so he stalked Hirt for more than a week before shooting him in the neck with a .45-caliber handgun as he ate breakfast in his car at the work site.

Hirt's fiancee, Cathy Ferayorni, said the arrest was a relief. "He just crossed paths with a horrible person," she said.

Both Ross and Cherry shot Williams, 39, in front of his Holbrook home, Spota said.The district attorney said Ross "had been dealing drugs with a close friend of Williams" who owed Ross money. "He theorized that if he killed Williams, it would lure his friend from out of state to the funeral, and he would kill him there."

The unidentified friend didn't go to the funeral. Spota said Williams did not deal drugs.

A statement Cherry gave to Suffolk detectives says, first, he shot Williams, who crawled away, saying, "Please don't shoot me. I'm sorry, I don't know what I did." Ross told Cherry, "Watch this," shooting Williams twice in the face, the statement said.

Ross' attorney, Bryan Cameron of Sayville, said his client, arrested this month by police and federal marshals, is "proclaiming his innocence."

Cherry's attorney, Francis Murphy of Sayville, said, "I think the brains behind this thing was the co-defendant."

Williams' parents said they were shocked by Cherry's youth. "Your heart just breaks," said Patricia Williams.