Story by Ethan
On August 6th, 2026, the arrest of Bretford Brewer, age 36, was announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Bretford Brewer was charged with second-degree Murder, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Public Lewdness, and Trespassing. The arrest and charges against Bretford Brewer were a result of an investigation handled by Detective Ryan Moone of the 108th Precinct Detective Squad and Detective Carmine Caruso of the Queens North Homicide Squad.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, at approximately 9:30 p.m. on July 31st, 2026, Bretford Brewer entered the lobby of the Hayden LIC Apartments building located on Hunter Street in Long Island, New York. An unnamed witness reported that the defendant claimed to be visiting the victim, 36-year-old Carlos Penzo, in apartment 406 before entering the building’s elevator. It was also reported that Bretford Brewer was wearing a black shirt, black pants, and white shoes with beige soles.
The following day at approximately 10 a.m. Carlos Penzo called 911 and managed to provide the building’s address but no apartment number before the line cut off. At approximately 12:30 a.m. one of the building’s fire alarms were set off and Bretford Brewer was seen nearby a stairway leading to the roof while naked and holding a fire extinguisher. The defendant was observed to have then gone to the 47th floor before taking an elevator back down to Carlos Penzo’s apartment on the 4th floor before being confronted by a member of the building’s staff. The staff member held Bretford Brewer in the building until the police arrived shortly thereafter.
Upon entering Carlos Penzo’s apartment it was found in complete disarray with blood splattered across the bedroom, kitchen, and on the front door’s handle. Two large kitchen knives were recovered from the scene, one with a broken handle found on the bed and the other found in the kitchen sink. A third kitchen knife was also found alongside Carlos Penzo who was discovered seated in the bathtub with several stab wounds to his face, neck, and torso. A court-authorized search warrant was executed at the victim’s apartment that recovered a shopping bag containing identification and insurance cards with Bretford Brewer’s information on them, as well as the aforementioned outfit he was seen wearing with blood on the shoes.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Bretford Brewer are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
