Connecticut Man Sentenced to 33 Years for Unintentional Killing of Olympian’s Mother by Stray Bullet

WATERBURY, Conn. — A man from Connecticut has been sentenced to 33 years in prison following the stray-bullet killing of Mabel Martinez Antongiorgi, the mother of a Puerto Rican Olympic athlete. Jasper Greene, 23, from New Haven, was one of three individuals charged in connection with the tragic incident that occurred on April 9, 2022.

Martinez Antongiorgi, 56, was sewing at her home in Waterbury, located about 30 miles southwest of Hartford, when a bullet struck her in the head after penetrating a wall. Her daughter, Yarimar Mercado Martinez, represented Puerto Rico in rifle shooting at the Olympic Games in 2016, 2021, and is set to compete again in 2024.

At the time of her mother’s death, Mercado Martinez was in Brazil focusing on another competitive event. Greene entered a guilty plea to murder charges back in February.

Following the sentencing in Waterbury Superior Court, his attorney did not provide any comments regarding the case. Court testimonies revealed that the shooting stemmed from an altercation involving Franklin Robinson, one of Greene’s accomplices, who became enraged after a man greeted his girlfriend.

In retaliation, Robinson, Greene, and another suspect opened fire on a car parked on Martinez Antongiorgi’s street, mistakenly believing the man they were targeting was inside. Tragically, a bullet entered Martinez Antongiorgi’s home, fatally wounding her; another innocent bystander was also injured but survived.

Robinson was convicted of murder and other charges in 2023, leading to a 90-year prison sentence. The third suspect, Levi Brock, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including murder, and is currently awaiting trial.

In the wake of her mother’s death, Mercado Martinez expressed her grief on social media, lamenting that she never got the chance to say goodbye. She deeply mourned the circumstances of her mother’s death, emphasizing the innocence of her mother’s simple act of sewing at home.

Martinez Antongiorgi and her husband, John Luis Mercado, had moved from Puerto Rico to Waterbury after the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017 and were preparing to renew their wedding vows at the time of her passing.