Two jealous ex-pals of a 24-year-old Bronx man used a GPS tracker to stalk him after he posted a picture of his flashy diamond jewelry — then robbed and fatally shot him in front of his mom, authorities said.
Welfy Espinal, 25, and Lenyn Toribio, 27, allegedly murdered 24-year-old Jeremy Ortega outside of his family’s Bronx apartment on April 13, 2025.
Ortega’s mother, Yokasta, told the New York Daily News that she begged the suspects not to kill him.
“Why would you do that? Why would you kill him that way? What was all the envy and hate for? You knew that my son was a really good person — because you grew up with him!” Yokasta said.
Ortega and Espinal were old friends who “would do everything” together in their youth, family said. Ortega also met Toribio a few years before the attack, his younger sister Brianna told the outlet.
Yokasta said that she left her home’s front door open for Ortega, who had forgotten his keys. She waited up for him to return and peered outside right as he was attempting to evade the attackers, she added.
But she could only watch in horror as Espinal allegedly shot Ortega from behind. She rushed to his side and attempted to rouse him, but said he showed no signs of life.
“They ruined my life. They killed him right in front of me. It’s terrible,” Yokasta said.
Ortega’s younger brother, Jayden, told the outlet that their mother Facetimed him “in so much agony and distress” while she tried to tend to Ortega on the sidewalk.
“She was telling me what was happening but it wasn’t clicking for me. For a second, I just thought to myself, ‘Is this real?’” Jayden recounted.
The family believes that the killers were jealous of Ortega, who worked as a supervisor at a recycling company.
Toribio and Espinal allegedly stalked Ortega using a GPS tracking device they planted on his car so that they could steal his diamond jewelry, according to a news release from the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The device was installed on Ortega’s vehicle without his knowledge while it was parked outside of his family’s apartment in Throggs Neck in early April, authorities said.
The next day, the purported thieves went to a night club in upper Manhattan — where Ortega was celebrating decked out in various pieces of diamond bling.
Ortega shared pictures for his 24th birthday celebration on April 5, 2025, where he wore two glitzy bracelets, a silver watch, a large diamond chain, and a pair of bulky earrings. He also had a lunch box with “Never Satisfied” and “Diamonds” emblazoned on it.
On April 12, 2025, Toribio and Espinal allegedly followed Ortega from a restaurant in Midtown before doubling-back to stake out his neighborhood in Throggs Neck, where they lay in wait.
When Ortega returned just before 5 a.m., the pair allegedly chased him down the street, firing at him repeatedly and nabbing a luxury bag full of his diamond jewelry, the release said.
Brianna told the Daily News that the Louis Vuitton messenger bag contained a diamond watch and a Cartier bracelet.
The suspects both fled the scene, leaving Ortega to die on the sidewalk beside his wailing mother, family said. He was pronounced dead at Jacobi Medical Center an hour later.
Toribio and Espinal allegedly fled the city and used a stolen license plate from a vehicle parked near the George Washington Bridge in an attempt to avoid law enforcement detection, according to authorities.
Espinal was arrested in New Jersey on Friday morning. Toribio is still at large.
They face identical charges for interstate stalking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking resulting in death.