4 accused of murder in botched Huntington Station home invasion, DA says

Four teens who set out to rob a pot dealer in October 2021 have been charged with the murder of one of the man’s friends after the botched home invasion turned deadly, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Jonray Perez, now 17, of Babylon, Kayla Alvarenga, 20, of Deer Park, Jashawn Strickland, 17, of Bay Shore and Jillian Kolsch, 20, of Smithtown, have all been charged with second-degree murder for their involvement in the fatal shooting of Louis Lombardo, 28, of Dix Hills, according to court records.

“These defendants allegedly conspired to commit a violent armed robbery, and needlessly took the life of an occupant in the home in the process,” District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. “Now, they will have to answer for this senseless killing.”

Prosecutors said the plan on the evening of Oct. 27, 2021, was for Strickland and another person, who the district attorney's office has not identified, to set up a marijuana deal at a home in Huntington Station, where Alvarenga and Perez would then rob the dealer of his marijuana and money. Kolsch was the planned getaway driver, prosecutors said.

When Alvarenga and Perez arrived to find the garage locked, they demanded it be opened and threatened violence, prosecutors said. One of the two then fired a shot through the closed door, striking Lombardo, prosecutors said.

The evidence investigators used to make an arrest includes video surveillance footage from both inside and outside of the garage.

All four defendants were arraigned this past week following a Dec. 30 grand jury indictment charging them with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and conspiracy, all felonies. Perez and Alvarenga were additionally charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor.

They have each pleaded not guilty, according to court records, and were remanded without bail. They are due back in court Jan. 25.

If convicted on the top charge of second-degree murder, Perez, who was 15 years old at the time of the killing, is facing 9 years to life in prison as a juvenile offender. Strickland, who was 16 years old, is facing 25 years to life, along with Kolsch and Alvarenga.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Eric Aboulafia of the homicide bureau.

The victim's family could not immediately be reached for comment.