The gun-toting thug charged with killing a 7-month-old Brooklyn girl in a stray-bullet horror hobbled into court on crutches Wednesday to face murder charges in the senseless slaying.
Amuri Greene, 21, who was injured in a moped wreck while allegedly fleeing the scene of the April 1st shooting, was arraigned on a 17-count murder indictment in Brooklyn Supreme Court, one day after his accused accomplice was charged in the crime.
“This is another step towards the fulfillment of a promise that the men who stole their child’s life will be held accountable and justice will prevail,” Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez told reporters.
“We will continue to fight for this family and we will continue to fight to make sure that no family will ever have to go through what this family went through,” Gonzalez said. “It’s despicable.”
Sources told The Post that the acccused killer, who fired from the back of a speeding moped, was targeting the baby’s father, drill rapper Jamari Patterson, but instead struck and killed Kaori and wounded her 2-year-old brother before speeding off.
The alleged driver of the moped, Matthew Rodriguez, smashed into a car two blocks away, with the mishap sending Greene to the hospital, where he was recognized and arrested.
Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Visotzky said in court that Greene tried to dodge the law by giving cops a phony name at the hospital, but the ruse didn’t work.
Rodriguez fled to Pennsylvania, where he was picked up by US Marshals and extradited back to Brooklyn, and was hauled into court on Tuesday.
Rodriguez whined that he was innocent as he was led to court from the NYPD 90th Precinct stationhouse.
“I didn’t do it,” he shouted at reporters. “I didn’t know it was going to happen. It’s not my fault. I promise,” he said. I didn’t know he was going to do that. I didn’t know he was going to pull the trigger.”
At the same time, Kaori was laid to rest after a private funeral service on Monday.
The tragic babe was laid to rest in a tiny pink Minnie Mouse casket inside a white horse-drawn hearse, with mourners wearing pink in her memory.
Judge Danny Chun ordered Greene held without pending a return court appearance on June 10.
