Family of Win Rozario Calls For Action on Anniversary of Killing by NYPD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, March 27, 2025

MEDIA CONTACTS

Tess Weiner, press@justicecommittee.org, 224-213-5495

Akash Singh, akash@drumnyc.org, 347-901-2815

Family of Win Rozario Calls For Action on Anniversary of Killing by NYPD

One year after Bangladeshi teen’s murder by NYPD, officers still haven’t been fired or prosecuted

New York, NY - One year ago today, Bangladeshi teenager Win Rozario was killed in his home, in front of his mother and younger brother, by NYPD Officers Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco. Marking the year since Win was killed, the Daily News published an oped by Win’s mother this morning, where she recounts the past year and calls for the firing and prosecution of Alongi and Cianfrocco and removal of police from mental health response. 

The family of Win Rozario and their representatives from the Justice Committee and Desis Rising Up & Moving also released the following statements today: 

Statement from Win Rozario’s family - Notan Eva Costa, Utsho Rozario, and Francis Rozario (mother, brother and father of Win Rozario): 

“Today marks one year since Win, our son and brother, was stolen from us by the NYPD. Win was just a child. Officers Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco shot, tased and killed him in cold blood -  in less than two minutes after entering our home. As we mourn and celebrate Win, our hearts are heavy because the past 12 months have been a year of no justice. 

“After Win was murdered, we thought Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco would be fired and arrested quickly. Their recklessness almost killed two of us who were also in the apartment, trying to de-escalate the crisis that Alongi and Cianfrocco created.

“It's been shocking and scary to learn how much these cops and other dangerous police are protected by a system that doesn't seem to care about justice. Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco must be fired and prosecuted before another year passes, and Mayor Adams and NYPD Commissioner Tisch need to make immediate changes - including removing police from mental health response - so no other family has to go through what we’ve gone through.”

Statement from Loyda Colón (they/them), Executive Director of the Justice Committee: 

“Unfortunately, the murder of Win Rozario is not an isolated incident. Far too many New Yorkers in need of medical care end up dead after interacting with cops. Too many cops who kill and brutalize New Yorkers are quick to claim that they “feared for their lives” even though video evidence shows that they had many options to de-escalate but chose violence and brute force instead.  Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco acted recklessly from the moment they arrived and questioned Win’s teenage brother using derogatory language. Both cops made no effort to de-escalate the crisis they created. This was a cold-blooded murder and Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco must be prosecuted and fired!”

Statement from Simran Thind (she/they), Desis Rising Up & Moving Racial Justice Organizer:

"We are stuck in the same cycle over and over again. Police respond to a mental health situation, escalate it, take a life away, and are never held responsible. And then the same thing happens the next time. How many more lives like Win Rozario’s will the NYPD be allowed to snatch before there is accountability? Or before we start putting actual trained mental health responders in place?" 

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BACKGROUND

19-year-old Win Rozario was in his Ozone Park, Queens home when he was killed by NYPD Officers Salvatore Alongi amd Matthew Cianfrocco on March 27, 2024, in front of his mother and younger brother. Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco created a crisis when they arrived and recklessly escalated the situation multiple times. Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco tased and shot Win multiple times within less than two minutes after entering the family’s apartment, unjustifiably killing the teen and risking the lives of Win’s mother and brother. 

For over a month after Win Rozario was killed, the NYPD blocked transparency, including refusing to release the names or employment status of the officers involved. Alongi and Cianfrocco’s names were first publicly identified by the Attorney General’s office when they released officer body camera footage on May 3, 2024. Mayor Adams’ first, and only, public statements regarding the killing were issued only after the Attorney General released body camera footage, over five weeks after Win was killed after being questioned by press. In the statement and after being questioned by reporters , Mayor Adams falsely claimed that he had reached out to the family after the incident, and falsely claimed that discipline would have to wait until after the Attorney General’s investigation concluded with a determination. 

The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) and the New York State Attorney General are still investigating the killing. The family has received no updates from Mayor Adams or the NYPD about the NYPD’s mandated investigation. While mayors sometimes falsely claim that officer disciplinary processes must wait until after prosecutor determinations, there is no mandate to delay discipline. In fact, Francis Livoti, who killed Anthony Baez in 1994, was fired from the NYPD before federal prosecutors convicted Livoti for violating Baez’s civil rights.

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About the Justice Committee:

Since the 1980s, the Justice Committee (JC) has been dedicated to building a movement against police violence and systemic racism in New York City. The heart of our work is organizing and uplifting the leadership of families who have lost loved ones to the police and survivors of police violence. We empower our community to deter police violence, hold law enforcement accountable, and build people-led community safety through grassroots organizing campaigns, community empowerment, political education, our CopWatch program, and by developing safety mechanisms and projects that decrease reliance on police. By building solidarity with other anti-racist, immigrant and people of color-led organizations, the Justice Committee seeks to contribute to a broad-based movement for racial, social, and economic justice. 

About Desis Rising Up and Moving:

DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving is a multigenerational, membership led organization of low-wage South Asian and Indo-Caribbean immigrants, workers and youth in New York City. Founded in 2000, DRUM has mobilized and built the leadership of thousands of low-income, South Asian and Indo-Caribbean immigrants to lead social and policy change that impacts their own lives- from immigrant rights to education reform, racial justice, and worker’s justice.  Our membership of over 5,000 adults, youth, and families is multigenerational and represents the diaspora of the South Asian communities – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Guyana, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and beyond.  In over a decade, we have built a unique model of South Asian and Indo-Caribbean undocumented workers, women, and youth led organizing for rights and justice from the local to the global rooted in base building, leadership development, running short and long term campaigns to reform policies on all levels, strong cross-community alliances locally and nationally, and building democratic and mass participatory spaces.