Jare Diaz, 27, punched and kicked the victim over 30 times in a savage assault that resulted in his death.
February 10, 2025
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced today that a jury has found Jare Diaz, 27, of White Plains, guilty of Murder in the Second Degree for fatally beating Otoniel Guzman-Desdicho in 2022.
DA Cacace said: “I am grateful for the jury’s verdict and for the diligent work of our prosecutorial team, which brought about this just result. The merciless beating of Mr. Guzman-Desdicho left him mangled and unrecognizable on a cold November night. This kind of violence can never become a normal part of daily life in Westchester.”
On Nov. 26, 2022, at 11:30 pm, Guzman-Desdicho, 38, was walking in White Plains when he encountered Diaz, whom he knew. After a brief conversation, Diaz launched an unprovoked attack on Guzman-Desdicho, punching and kicking him in the head over 30 times.
This attack left Guzman-Desdicho lifeless and unrecognizable on the pavement, only a few blocks from the Westchester County Court. He was soon transported to Westchester Medical Center, where he was declared brain dead.
Diaz is set to be sentenced March 27 by Westchester County Court Judge Maurice Dean Williams. The maximum potential sentence for Murder in the Second Degree is 25 years to life in state prison.
The case was investigated by the White Plains Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Cold Case Bureau Chief Daniel Flecha and Assistant District Attorney Brianna Ciuffi, of the Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau.
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