A violent thug turned courtroom snitch fingered his former partners-in-crime today in the murder trial of two Brooklyn men accused of a botched robbery that led to the death of a NYPD cop.
Ariel Tejada, 24, detailed the planning that went into the brutal 2011 robbery that led to the fatal shooting of NYPD Det. Peter Figoski.
The former Crips gang member testified against alleged robbery ringleader Nelson Morales, 28, and pothead cohort Kevin Santos, 32, in exchange for a sweet plea deal that will give him just 18 years behind bars instead of the up to life in prison his old pals face.
“Me and Nels knew that Luck and LB were trying to get some money so we thought it was only fair we do that favor for them,” Tejada said, referring to Santos and convicted shooter Lamont Pride by their nicknames.
Tejada will receive the lighter sentence despite his violent role in the robbery of the East New York drug dealer.
“I had my feet on his hands,” Tejada said. “I did punch him one time in the face.”
Morales and Santos both face murder and burglary raps in the Brooklyn Supreme Court trial over the shooting. Tejada already testified against Pride and acquitted driver Michael Velez.
“Was that your only source of income?” a prosecutor asked Tejada about his job at a yogurt shop.
“Besides robbing people,” answered Tejada, who went on to describe how he and Morales robbed about ten drug dealers, including one heist that netted them $34,000.
jsaul@nypost.com