Ex-con who served time for 1998 drag race slay now charged in Brooklyn bouncer’s murder

A convicted slayer released from situation 5 years agone for shooting an guiltless bystander astatine a Queens resistance contention has present been nabbed successful different slay — stabbing a bouncer breaking up a combat astatine a Brooklyn nightspot earlier this year, the Daily News has learned.

Though 26 years apart, the killings stock disturbing parallels. Jose Feliciano is accused of knifing the bouncer successful the cervix for trying to interruption up a combat and successful 1998 he changeable a man trying to defuse a clash astatine the resistance race.

Feliciano, 49, was brought backmost to Brooklyn past period to look justness aft helium went connected the tally for months successful the aftermath of the killing of Laurence Hopkins, who worked information astatine the Garden Bar & Grill successful East Williamsburg, according to authorities.

Hopkins was connected the occupation eating a sheet of chickenhearted wings connected Feb. 10 erstwhile a pistillate helium works with tried to compression past the slayer and different customer, according to cops.

Obtained by Daily News

Bouncer Laurence Hopkins was stabbed to decease successful February. (Obtained by Daily News)

That led to a combat and truthful Hopkins got up to chill down the argument. But Feliciano allegedly pulled retired a weapon and plunged it heavy into the bouncer’s neck, splicing done his tongue, cops said. He besides stabbed him successful the armpit and chest, cops said.

Customers astatine the barroom nonchalantly finished their drinks arsenic Hopkins bled out, according to police.

Feliciano fled the authorities but a U.S. Marshals-NYPD fugitive task unit tracked him to a location successful Youngstown, Ohio, connected Sept. 18, according to the Marshals Service.

He was indicted successful Brooklyn Supreme Court connected execution and different charges connected Oct. 16 and ordered held without bail. His lawyer didn’t instrumentality a connection seeking remark Sunday.

On Oct. 11, 1998, Feliciano, past 24, changeable 22-year-old Steven Julian of Hempstead, L.I., during an statement connected Francis Lewis Blvd., a notorious resistance contention hangout successful Bayside.

Feliciano was convicted of execution and robbery aft a week-long proceedings successful 2000 but the condemnation was tossed connected entreaty due to the fact that of a mistake made during assemblage selection. In 2005, helium and prosecutors reached a woody — 24 years successful speech for a blameworthy plea to manslaughter alternatively than a caller trial.

“The suspect changeable a antheral who had stopped a fight,” then-Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said aft the archetypal verdict was reached. “He past fled from the constabulary and repeatedly endangered the nationalist by continuing to fly from them.”

NYPD

Suspect Jose Feliciano is pictured successful surveillance footage released by police. (NYPD)

According to witnesses astatine his archetypal trial, unfortunate Julian joined a pal, Coron Graham, looking for a resistance contention the nighttime of the killing, qns.com reported.

Feliciano told Graham, “What a good bi—hing car,” and Graham’s woman took discourtesy truthful Graham took retired a shot bat, Julian’s member told the outlet.

Julian pulled the bat retired of his pal’s hands conscionable earlier Feliciano opened fire, sidesplitting Julian.

“There was a viable self-defense case,” Feliciano’s defence lawyer Howard Greenberg told The News aft the plea woody was reached.  “He came astatine him with a shot bat – truthful what is simply a feline expected to do? But erstwhile an guiltless bystander gets killed it makes it a overmuch much hard case.”

Feliciano was released from situation successful 2019 and finished his parole successful 2022.

Hopkins, the slain bouncer, worked arsenic a barber with his member since his younker until the store they owned closed down successful the 2000s.

Obtained by Daily News

Laurence Hopkins. (Obtained by Daily News)

Police released surveillance footage of the fishy successful Hopkin’s stabbing a week aft the slay and asked the public’s assistance identifying him.

“When they showed the clip of erstwhile helium killed Larry I’m like, ‘I seen this feline respective times,'” Hopkins’ adjacent pal, Keith Bazemore, said Sunday. “When I saw that achromatic Yankees chapeau I was like, ‘I seen this feline implicit and over. He wears that chapeau each the damn time.'”

Bazemore added that Feliciano typically hung retired connected Graham Ave. and Broadway, astir a five-minute locomotion from the nightclub. “He was a thoroughfare dude,” helium said. “He was ever connected the block.”

Feliciano is owed backmost successful tribunal Dec. 18.

“I’m conscionable blessed they yet caught the guy. Even though it took them a agelong clip I’m gladsome they caught him,” Bazemore said. ” Most of his friends, they each happy. It was like, ‘About time!’ Some things instrumentality a agelong clip but I’m conscionable gladsome they caught him.”