A Bronx man convicted of murdering a pregnant young mother in front of her two daughters will serve 40 years in prison for the horrific killing, a Manhattan judge ruled Thursday.
Justice Ann Scherzer handed down the term to Justin Soriano, 44, at his Manhattan Supreme Court sentencing for Shanice Young’s September 2021 killing, which occurred near her home on W. 128th St. near Frederick Douglass Blvd. after she left a baby shower with her 15-year-old and 6-year-old daughters, a friend, his young kids, and her cousin.
According to trial evidence, the two men and Young’s eldest daughter were bringing baby gifts from the car to the apartment as Young sat in the vehicle’s passenger seat in front of her friend’s 1-year-old baby.
Soriano pulled up to the scene on a motorcycle, wearing all black, a face covering, and latex gloves. Young, who was 31, previously dated Soriano and knew he was a danger to her, having secured three orders of protection against him following their breakup, the Daily News previously reported.
After arguing with Young’s friend and then with her, Soriano pulled out a weapon and shot her three times in the face in front of the four children gathered inside the car, jurors heard at the trial.
Medics rushed Young to Harlem Hospital, but she and her unborn child could not be saved. Soriano was arrested and taken into custody after a four-day manhunt.
“Justin Soriano will serve state prison time for viciously murdering Shanice Young on what should have been a joyous and memorable occasion and celebration,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement Thursday.
“Soriano committed this horrific shooting in front of four children, including Ms. Young’s own daughters, who helplessly watched their mother die right before their eyes. The trauma Ms. Young’s family and loved ones have experienced continues to be felt today and my thoughts remain with them as they continue to heal.”
Soriano’s public defender could not immediately be reached for comment.
Young’s father, in 2021, told The News the last words his daughter said to him came as he helped her load baby presents into the trunk following a joy-filled night where they had a special father-daughter dance. She estimated she’d give birth in five days.
“‘Daddy, get ready,’” Thurman Young said. “I said, ‘I’ll be ready.’ That’s the last thing she said to me.”
