Hoovler Announces Two Charged in Town of New Windsor Murder Case

December 15, 2019

Two Defendants Charged with Murder in the First Degree

One Defendant Charged with Attacking the Family of the Mother of One of His Children and the Attempted Murder of the Another Mother of One of His Children

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Friday, December 13, 2019, Cornelius Stubbs, 48, and Carlos Rivera, 47, both of Newburgh, were arraigned before Orange County Court Judge Robert H. Freehill, on an Indictment charging them with crimes including Murder in the First Degree. The charges were in connection with the September 2019 shooting death of a twenty-one year-old female college student inside a New Windsor residence. The deceased woman was in the apartment visiting her boyfriend, who is the brother of the mother of one of Stubbs’ children. The indictment also charges Stubbs with a pattern of harassment of that same mother, as well as her family.

Stubbs and Rivera were each charged with Murder in the First Degree, two counts of Attempted Murder in the First Degree, two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, for having broken into the brother’s New Windsor apartment, shooting the brother and fatally shooting his girlfriend. The brother was seriously injured in the attack.

Stubbs is also charged with four counts of Criminal Contempt in the First Degree, six counts of Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree, two counts of Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, and three counts of Harassment in the Second Degree, for having repeatedly threatened and harassed the mother of his child, as well as her brother.

Stubbs is charged in the same indictment with two counts of Attempted Murder in the First Degree for the October 2011 attempted slaying of another woman with whom Stubbs has a child in common. That victim had been shot multiple times in her City of Newburgh residence.

Stubbs and Rivera face a potential sentence of Life in prison without the possibility of parole on the charge of Murder in the First Degree.

Stubbs and Rivera are next scheduled to appear in court on December 20, 2019. Both were remanded to the Orange County Jail with no bail.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Town of New Windsor Police Department and New York State Police for their investigation and the arrest of the defendants, as well the City of Newburgh Police Department who aided in the investigation.

“The tragic death of this young woman is one more example of how violence against former domestic and intimate partners effects more than the immediate parties,” said District Attorney David Hoovler. “The violence that abusers use to exert power and control over present and former intimate partners places not only those partners at risk, but their families and indeed the entire community. Ending this type senseless violence is everyone’s responsibility. I urge anyone who is a victim of this type of abuse, or who knows of this type of abuse is taking place, to contact law enforcement before another tragedy occurs.”

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney David Byrne and Assistant District Attorney Pakiza Sajid.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.