20 To Life For 'Ruthlessly' Murdering Cab Driver On Main Street

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Justice has been handed down in a Main Street murder that shocked a Westchester city.

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced today that a Virginia man was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the 2021 fatal shooting of 62-year-old New Rochelle cab driver Andres Valenzuela.

"This defendant ruthlessly murdered a family man who was simply trying to earn an honest living," Rocah said today. "Our hearts remain with the victim’s family as they continue to heal following today’s sentencing."

Percell Ross Blakely, who has prior felony convictions, pleaded guilty on Feb. 15 to murder in the first degree.

On Oct. 14, 2021, at approximately 2:46 a.m., the 54-year-old used a .22 caliber firearm to shoot Valenzuela two times while attempting to rob him. Shot just moments after he ended his shift, Valenzuela was rushed to New Rochelle Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Following a multi-agency investigation led by the New Rochelle Police Department, Blakely was arrested on Oct. 17, 2021, at a residential building in Brooklyn. Police also recovered the murder weapon.

SEE ALSO:

• Slain Cab Driver Is Identified, Shooter Remains At Large: Police
• Cabbie Murder Suspect Shoots At NRPD Officers In Brooklyn: Report
• After Shootout, Cops ID Man Charged In New Rochelle Cabbies Slaying

The FBI’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, the Westchester County Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center, the Covington Police Department in Virginia, and the Fairfield and New Haven Police Departments in Connecticut assisted with the investigation.

"The Valenzuela family cannot forgive you because you destroyed a family," Valenzuela's daughter told the court in a statement. "And because we believe in divine justice and human justice, which has been fulfilled today."