Percell Ross Returned to New Rochelle for Booking, Indicted in Westchester Court for Taxi Cab Murder

Written By: Robert Cox

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Percell Lamont Ross, 52, of Covington, Virginia was back in New Rochelle Thursday for booking on charges related to the taxicab robbery-shooting homicide of Andres Valenzuela which on October 14, 2021.

Ross, currently in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn, was brought to New Rochelle then to Westchester Criminal Court then back to Brooklyn MDC by New Rochelle Police Detectives Timothy Adrian and John Ladeairous, who were the lead investigators on this case.

Ross arrived at the New Rochelle Police Department headquarters around 11 am where he was fingerprinted and photographed. Once processed he was taken to White Plains about 12:15 pm.

Ross was brought to court on a superior court warrant of arrest and writ of habeas corpus.

After Ross was processed by Detectives at New Rochelle Police Headquarters, he was transported to White Plains, NY where he was arraigned in Westchester County Criminal Court before Judge George E. Fufidio, Jr.

The case is before Judge Anne Minihan in Westchester County Court, and is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Counsel Brian Bendish and Assistant District Attorney Catalina Blanco Buitrago.

Ross is due back in Westchester County Court on August 30, 2022.

Percell Ross, stocky at 5’ 9” and 200 pounds, appeared in court dressed in a beige jumpsuit, wearing eyeglasses with thick black plastic frames.

Ross was indicted by a Westchester County Grand Jury for Murder in the First Degree, two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Robbery in the First Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, all felonies. The defendant was arraigned on June 2, 2022, and is being held without bail.

The Indictment alleges that on Oct. 14, 2021, at approximately 2:46 a.m., Ross Blakely forcibly stole property from and shot 62-year-old Andres Valenzuela on Main Street in New Rochelle. The victim was transported to New Rochelle Hospital, where he died.

The New Rochelle Police Department arrested Ross on Oct. 17, 2021, following an investigation, with assistance from the FBI’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, the Real Time Crime Center of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, the Covington Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department and the New Haven Police Department.

Ross, through his attorney, entered a plea of not guilty.

Ross was taken into custody three days after the Valenzuela murder following a wild shootout with FBI Agents and New Rochelle Police.

In a statement released at the time, the FBI said on the morning of October 17, 2021, in the vicinity of 330 Hudson Walk in Brooklyn, NY, Ross opened fire on members of a joint local and FBI Safe Streets Task Force attempting to apprehend Ross on an active warrant, dated October 16, 2021, for aggravated assault, First Degree with a weapon, which had been issued out of New Haven, CT.

Ross claims that officers and agents fired at him first.

At the time, Ross had an outstanding warrant for full extradition out of Covington, VA dated October 16, 2021, for Sex Trafficking of a Minor with Intent to Receive Money.

Ross was arraigned on October 18, 2021, in Brooklyn in front of Judge Robert M. Levy, U.S. Magistrate Judge Eastern District of New York on federal charges.

Details on the Federal case here.

Ross has an extensive criminal history before his recent arrest. On November 26, 2008, in the United States District Court Northern District of Ohio, Percell Ross was convicted of being a Felon in Possession in of a Firearm, for which he was sentenced to 65 months federal incarceration. On November 14, 2014, Ross was convicted of the felony of Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer in the Allegheny County Court of Virginia and sentenced to a term of 1 year incarceration. On March 20, 2017, in the Switzerland County Court of Indiana, Ross was convicted of the felony of Robbery and sentenced to a term of 5 years incarceration.

According to a report from the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, Percell Lamont Ross used multiple aliases (Blakemy, Percell; Blakeney, P; Blakeney, Percel L; Blakeney, Percell l; Blakeny, Percel; Blakeny, Percell; Blakeny, Percell Lament; Blakeny, Ross; Blakney, Percell; Kendall, Jerome; Percell, Ross Lamont; Robinson, Teamo; Ross, Percell and dates of birth (1969/0908; 1967/0907; 1967/0908; 1968/0908; 1969/0808; 1969/0909; 1972/1013).

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