The son of infamous serial killer David Berkowitz may have experienced his first encounter with violence at just 17. Years before his notorious spree, which left four dead and four injured between 1976 and 1977 in New York, reports suggest young Berkowitz might have been involved in earlier attacks in the Bronx, according to a former Yonkers detective and crime historian.
Detective Mike Lorenzo, who worked on the Berkowitz case, along with Berkowitz specialist Manny Grossman, are urging the NYPD to revisit the unsolved shooting of 16-year-old Margaret Inglesia. Margaret was on her way home from a party at around 2 a.m. on October 18, 1970, when she was shot on 169th Street, a route through Morrisania.
Back then, witnesses reported hearing the shots; Inglesia was critically wounded by three .22-caliber bullets, sustaining one shot to the front and two in the back. She became one of six victims of a sniper in that area within two months, but her shooting was the only one resulting in death. Despite this, no arrests followed.
“This case absolutely warrants a fresh investigation,” Lorenzo, now 60 and retired for 15 years, said.
Lorenzo and Grossman suspect the young Berkowitz could be tied to the sniper incidents given his employment at his father’s business, Melrose Hardware, just a mile away during that period.
He left the job after enlisting in the U.S. Army.
In addition, they highlighted a shooting target found in Berkowitz’s home after his capture in 1977, which they argue points to him practicing his aim.
“I mean, why would he have a 100-yard target? Not like he was a hunter,” Lorenzo remarked.
They did recognize that the sniper’s method differed significantly from Berkowitz’s later, more personal attacks, which involved using a .44-caliber revolver fired from his car.
Regardless, they emphasize the need to re-evaluate the sniper case, particularly since it involved a .22 caliber rifle.
Additionally, they’ve uncovered more victims previously linked to Berkowitz. They helped identify Wendy Savino, shot while in her car, as one of his earlier, lesser-known victims.
“I stumbled upon Wendy’s story when the sketch she made of the assailant bore an uncanny resemblance to Berkowitz,” Grossman recounted.
“Then we unearthed a police report that showed her shooting shared similarities with the Son of Sam attacks,” he added.
Grossman mentioned that Savino identified Berkowitz as her assailant shortly after his arrest, an incident that remained vividly etched in her memory.
When they consulted retired NYPD Detective Robert Klein, he confirmed that Savino had been shot by Berkowitz, despite Berkowitz’s denials in custody.
Savino described how a grinning Berkowitz approached her car and opened fire, hitting her multiple times. She played dead until he left but ultimately lost an eye due to her injuries.
Berkowitz, now 72, was arrested in 1977 and convicted of multiple murders, leading to a life sentence at Shawangunk Correctional Facility.
Lorenzo stated that before delving into the Savino case, he had a hunch the earlier sniper shootings might be connected to Berkowitz.
“There’s likely something significant hidden in those files,” Lorenzo remarked.
Grossman, who pushes for a street to be named in honor of Inglesia, concludes that the case stands out and needs proper attention, even if Berkowitz didn’t pull the trigger.
“It’s a significant incident that seems to have been overlooked,” Grossman said. “We’re convinced there’s a criminal involved, and it could be Berkowitz.”
