Queens Tribune

A Jamaica man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Tuesday after fatally shooting a Queens Village man inside his residence during a robbery attempt in August 2003.

Troy Lockley, 34, was arrested after DNA collected from a cigarette butt found in the victim’s apartment matched his DNA profile.

“The defendant thought he could get away with murder but his own DNA proved his undoing. He has now been held accountable for cold-bloodily shooting a Queens man inside his own home. His actions warrant imposition of a maximum prison sentence to punish him and protect society,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

Lockley was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree attempted robbery and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Lockley and an acquaintance, Andy Dabydeen, 23, approached the residence of Fabian Ceballos, 28, and asked his girlfriend who was standing outside for directions before displaying a gun, prosecutors said. Lockley then ran to the doorway where Ceballos was standing and, grabbing him at gunpoint, demanded money. He then shot Ceballos once in the chest, fatally wounding him. Lockley and Dabydeen then entered the victim’s apartment to search for money before fleeing.

Lockley was arrested in March 2005 when his DNA profile was matched to DNA found on a cigarette he smoked on the night of the murder and recovered from under the victim’s couch, prosecutors said. Dabydeen was arrested in October 2003 and pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in September 2005.