Successful-and-run SUV driver who fatally mowed down a gospel drummer and “loving father” of a 4-year-old boy in East Willliamsburg in February lastly surrendered to police Monday, cops stated.
Gregory Ventura, 35, turned himself with a lawyer at a Downtown Brooklyn police precinct round 8:40 a.m. and was charged with criminally negligent murder for hanging Joshua Germain, 31, the early morning of Feb. 15, authorities and sources stated.
Germain was crossing Vandervoort Avenue on the Maspeth Avenue intersection round 12:15 a.m. when Ventura, who was behind the wheel of a Nissan Murano, struck him and drove off, police stated.
The gravely injured Germain was rushed to the Elmhurst Hospital Middle, the place he succumbed to his accidents Feb. 20 – his father’s birthday.
Only a week earlier, Germain had attended an occasion at his son’s college, his dad, Jean Germain, advised The Submit on Monday.
“He made positive that he was at each recreation, each college occasion,” the elder Germain stated. “The final occasion he went to along with his son was like slightly occasion they’d on the college. He was there along with his son on a Friday earlier than he handed away.
“Every week earlier than [his death], he was at his son’s college, and tomorrow that’s his son’s commencement,” he added. “He cherished his son. He was a stunning son, a stunning father.”
In his personal college days, Germain was a stand-out drummer, successful an award at McDonald’s Gospelfest for his percussion efficiency as a high- schooler, his dad stated.
He additionally had a ardour for mentoring these youthful than him, based on his father.
“When he was in highschool, he used to work with kids and younger youngsters. That’s the type of child he was rising up,” he stated. “All these youngsters’ dad and mom got here to his funeral, all the children, as a result of they’re grown now, all of them got here to his funeral.”
As an grownup, Germain was a “hardworking man” with a “good union job,” his dad stated.
“He was serving to everyone on the road, everyone that he loves,” the older Germain added.
“My son could be very, very enjoyable to be round – all the time smiling, all the time, all the time smiling, all the time prepared to assist pals, all the time prepared to assist individuals, like previous women, previous males.”
After studying of Germain’s dying, these he helped tried to “repay” the household “due to what my son did for them,” his dad stated.
“However individuals calling me, speaking to me, supporting me, that’s all I want from individuals, and that’s what I’m getting from them, ?” he stated.
Within the months after the tragic hit-and-run, Jean Germain stated he has crammed his younger grandson’s life with journey.
“After his father handed away, I despatched him on a cruise,” he stated. “He went to Playa del Carmen, he went to Aruba. My grandson, already 4 years previous, has six stamps on his passport.”
Requested if the alleged hit-and-run driver’s arrest introduced him some solace, he solely replied, “Sure … sure.”
“To me, it’s a giant loss,” he added of his son’s dying.
Ventura, who has no earlier arrests, was additionally charged with leaving the scene of an accident inflicting dying, reckless driving and transferring unsafely from a lane, police stated.
He was arraigned on an indictment in Brooklyn Supreme Courtroom on Monday and granted supervised launch by Justice Danny Chun – as requested by prosecutors – as a result of he surrendered on his personal accord.
He’ll reappear in court docket Aug. 18, the Brooklyn DA’s workplace stated.
