By: Richard L. Smith
A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to 90 years in prison for the fatal beating of a Beverly City resident during a violent standoff that occurred two years ago, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw announced.
Larry Brown, convicted in March of the murder of 34-year-old Cecilio Luciano, must serve 73 years before he becomes eligible for parole.
Superior Court Judge Gerard H. Breland handed down the sentence in Mount Holly, effectively ensuring Brown spends the rest of his life behind bars.
The crime took place in June 2022 when Brown killed Luciano with a baseball bat inside a residence on Bentley Avenue.
After the murder, Brown barricaded himself inside the home, holding a woman and four children hostage.
A tense standoff with law enforcement followed, ending hours later when the hostages were released unharmed, and Brown was taken into custody.
Following a trial that included three days of jury deliberation, Brown was found guilty of a series of charges. In addition to first-degree murder, he was convicted of five counts of kidnapping, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, making terroristic threats, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Brown was also found guilty of charges related to weapons possession, given his status as a person prohibited from owning firearms.
The investigation began on June 14, 2022, when Beverly City Police were alerted to the incident at approximately 1:15 a.m. Officers were informed that Brown had killed Luciano and was still inside the home with the woman and children.
When Brown refused to leave the residence, crisis negotiators from the New Jersey State Police were called to the scene. Over the course of several hours, the woman and children were safely released.
Brown finally surrendered to authorities at approximately 8:30 a.m., and New Jersey State Police entered the home, discovering Luciano’s body.
An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood confirmed that Luciano had died from blunt force trauma, consistent with being beaten with a baseball bat.
This sentencing brings a conclusion to a harrowing case that shocked the Beverly City community and involved the coordinated efforts of numerous law enforcement agencies across the region.