(WNY News Now) – A 48-year-old Buffalo man has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a fatal shooting that occurred on the city’s West Side this past July.
Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced that Moises Cortijo, Jr., 48, of Buffalo, was arraigned on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, before Erie County Court Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes. Cortijo faces one count of Murder in the Second Degree (Class A-I felony) and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class C violent felony).
According to the indictment, on Sunday, July 13, 2025, around 5:00 p.m., Buffalo Police officers responded to reports of a shooting on the 300 block of Busti Avenue. The victim, 35-year-old David Ortiz-Ramos, was transported by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. Investigators accuse Cortijo of participating in the fatal shooting.
Cortijo was held without bail, and a future court date has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the top charge, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
District Attorney Keane commended Detective Mark White and members of the Buffalo Police Department for their ongoing investigative work on the case. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant District Attorney Christopher S. Safulko of the Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Alexander J. Trunfio of the Domestic Violence Bureau.
As with all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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