Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A dispute over drugs led two brothers to kill in Irondequoit family of four nearly two years ago, Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Victoria Porter said Thursday during opening statements in the murder trial of Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano and Luis Francisco Soriano.
The brothers face several charges — including first-degree murder, arson, kidnapping and burglary — in the deaths of their cousin, Fraime Ubaldo, his girlfriend, Marangely Moreno-Santiago, and the couple's two young children, Evangeline Ubaldo Moreno and Sebastian Ubaldo Moreno. The victims were found dead Aug. 31, 2024 after first responders were called to a fire at their home on Knapp Avenue. A motive in the case had not been revealed until Thursday.
Porter said the brothers had been working with Ubaldo and Moreno-Santiago, using the Knapp Avenue home to receive drug packages shipped from Puerto Rico. The brothers believed the couple had stolen a package sent to the home Aug. 15, 2024. The couple said they couldn't find the package, with Luis — who lived in Rochester — coming over to help search for it. Ubaldo tried to convince his cousins he did not steal the package.
Two weeks later, Julio flew into Rochester from Puerto Rico. He and Luis went to Ubaldo's home and stabbed the family of four to death, Porter said. The killings and the eight fires that were started throughout the home were not captured on camera.
"They were never shown on camera," Julio's attorney, Joe Damelio, told 13WHAM outside the courtroom. "There were Ring cameras inside the house, outside the house, but there's very little Ring camera footage that that was retrieved or that we received."
Damelio asked for a mistrial because Porter used the word "slaughter" in her opening statements. Judge Charles Schiano declined the request.
In his opening statements, Damelio said Moreno-Santiago stole the drugs and gave them to the person with whom she was having an affair. Damelio said the drugs did not come from Julio, but instead came from a drug trafficking organization.
The defense argued that the investigation was unfair.
"Our position is that they rushed the judgment, and they didn't consider several things which were pointed out during this trial," Damelio said.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/local/drug-dispute-led-brothers-to-kill-irondequoit-family-of-four-prosecutor-reveals-in-murder-trial-knapp-avenue-homicide-killings-julio-cesar-pimentel-soriano-and-luis-francisco-soriano-fraime-ubaldo-marangely-moreno-santiago-rochester-monroe-county-court
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A dispute over drugs led two brothers to kill in Irondequoit family of four nearly two years ago, Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Victoria Porter said Thursday during opening statements in the murder trial of Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano and Luis Francisco Soriano.
The brothers face several charges — including first-degree murder, arson, kidnapping and burglary — in the deaths of their cousin, Fraime Ubaldo, his girlfriend, Marangely Moreno-Santiago, and the couple's two young children, Evangeline Ubaldo Moreno and Sebastian Ubaldo Moreno. The victims were found dead Aug. 31, 2024 after first responders were called to a fire at their home on Knapp Avenue. A motive in the case had not been revealed until Thursday.
Porter said the brothers had been working with Ubaldo and Moreno-Santiago, using the Knapp Avenue home to receive drug packages shipped from Puerto Rico. The brothers believed the couple had stolen a package sent to the home Aug. 15, 2024. The couple said they couldn't find the package, with Luis — who lived in Rochester — coming over to help search for it. Ubaldo tried to convince his cousins he did not steal the package.
Two weeks later, Julio flew into Rochester from Puerto Rico. He and Luis went to Ubaldo's home and stabbed the family of four to death, Porter said. The killings and the eight fires that were started throughout the home were not captured on camera.
"They were never shown on camera," Julio's attorney, Joe Damelio, told 13WHAM outside the courtroom. "There were Ring cameras inside the house, outside the house, but there's very little Ring camera footage that that was retrieved or that we received."
Damelio asked for a mistrial because Porter used the word "slaughter" in her opening statements. Judge Charles Schiano declined the request.
In his opening statements, Damelio said Moreno-Santiago stole the drugs and gave them to the person with whom she was having an affair. Damelio said the drugs did not come from Julio, but instead came from a drug trafficking organization.
The defense argued that the investigation was unfair.
"Our position is that they rushed the judgment, and they didn't consider several things which were pointed out during this trial," Damelio said.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/local/drug-dispute-led-brothers-to-kill-irondequoit-family-of-four-prosecutor-reveals-in-murder-trial-knapp-avenue-homicide-killings-julio-cesar-pimentel-soriano-and-luis-francisco-soriano-fraime-ubaldo-marangely-moreno-santiago-rochester-monroe-county-court
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Stay up to date with our social media:
13 WHAM on Facebook: facebook.com/13WHAM
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13 WHAM Daily Local News Digest: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuTJB6tta5ar3Fu5CumAvlvVunEP6bc9A
For more information, visit 13wham.com
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: news@13wham.com
Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700
WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork
