Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to the Murder of Luis Aquino

Jason King (age 22), with a last known address of 10 Valley Street, New Haven, CT, has pleaded guilty on Monday before Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause to second degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon for the November 4, 2013 shooting that killed Luis Aquino and injured Jonathan Garcia outside Club Mango in Providence.

Had the case proceeded to trial, the state was prepared to prove that on November 4, 2013, Jason King, of New Haven, Connecticut, traveled from New Haven to Providence for the purpose of purchasing a large quantity of marijuana.  Accompanying him were Lloyd Streater and another man from Willimantic, CT. 

After arriving in Providence, King and Streater entered another vehicle on Public St, Providence, parked in front of the Mango nightclub.  In the car were three men, including Luis Aquino and Jonathan Garcia.  Aquino was the middle back seat passenger and Garcia was the right front passenger.  After a disagreement erupted over the price and quantity of the marijuana, King alighted from the vehicle, withdrew a pistol and began shooting back into it, striking back seat passenger Luis Aquino four times and front seat passenger Jonathan Garcia once. 
 
King and Streater fled the scene, taking the marijuana with them.  Luis Aquino was driven to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.  Jonathan Garcia was also taken to the hospital for his gunshot injury, treated, and released. 
 
Through an extensive investigation by Providence Police, Jason King was developed as the suspect who shot and killed Luis Aquino and shot and injured Jonathan Garcia.  He was apprehended on a warrant in Connecticut, waived extradition and was returned to Rhode Island wherein he was charged and thereafter indicted by a Providence County Grand Jury.  Lloyd Streater was also later apprehended in Connecticut and charged in connection with this case.  He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession of 1 to 5 kilograms of marijuana in April, 2014 and is awaiting sentencing.
 
A firearm found at the crime scene was traced to front seat passenger and victim of the assault, Jonathan Garcia.  He pleaded nolo contendere before Magistrate John F. McBurney in July, 2014, and was sentenced on April 27, 2015 to 10 years, with 15 months to serve and the remainder suspended with probation.
 
Providence Police Detectives Daniel O’Connell, William Dwyer and Theodore Michael led the investigation. Assistant Attorney General (Retired) Randall White and Special Assistant Attorney General David Bonzagni prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.