Posts by Renea Henry
SEXUAL PREDATOR SENTENCED FOR RAPING CHILD RELATIVE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Julio Fernando Pina-Illescas was sentenced to 17.5 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting a child relative over the course of 10 years, beginning when the girl was 4 years old. In a separate case, Pina-Illescas has been charged with abusing two other pre-teen girls. District Attorney…
Read MoreMAN CHARGED WITH RAPE AND ASSAULT IN ROOFTOP ATTACK ON WOMAN
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jerson Vasquez was arraigned on charges of rape, robbery and assault for allegedly arranging to meet a woman for paid sex and then viciously attacking her on a Jamaica rooftop and taking back the money he paid along with her cellphone. District Attorney Katz said: “The charges portray…
Read MoreMANHATTAN MAN SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS FOR KIDNAPPING IN BOTCHED RICHMOND HILL HOME INVASION
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Tex Ortiz was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for a kidnapping in which five people – including a 9-month-old – were held at gunpoint during a botched home invasion robbery that turned into a hostage standoff in Richmond Hill in 2020. The case against his co-defendant…
Read MoreNEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR INDICTED IN MURDER OF 10-YEAR-OLD BOY IN FAR ROCKAWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ashram Lochan was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with murder in connection with a 2021 shooting, apparently sparked by a dispute over a shared driveway, that killed 10-year-old Justin Wallace and seriously injured his cousin, 29-year-old Kyle Forrester. Lochan allegedly acted in concert with Jovan Young,…
Read MoreMAN ARRAIGNED IN SCOOTER SHOOTING SPREE THAT LEFT ONE DEAD AND TWO OTHERS WOUNDED IN QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Thomas Abreu was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with murder and five counts of attempted murder after allegedly going on a shooting spree while riding a scooter and killing an 86-year-old man and wounding two others in Queens. District Attorney Katz said: “This is a chilling…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – April 21, 2023
Viktoria Nasyrova was sentenced to 21 years in prison earlier this week for poisoning a Queens woman… (continued)
Read MoreBROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS FOR 2021 SHOOTING AT QUEENS MOTEL
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Rawle Washington was sentenced to 12 years in prison for injuring a man he shot at the Surfside Motel in Howard Beach in September 2021. District Attorney Katz said, “DNA evidence was instrumental in identifying the defendant after he callously shot a man and fled. Today he faces…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED ASSAULT OF LIRR WORKERS; BRANDISHED KNIFE AFTER REFUSING TO PRODUCE TRAIN TICKET
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Taijuan Corse pleaded guilty to attempted assault for waving a knife at four Long Island Rail Road workers, causing minor injuries to two of them, during an incident last summer. As part of the conditions of his plea, the defendant is banned from Long Island Rail Road and…
Read MoreBROOKLYN WOMAN SENTENCED TO 21 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN CHEESECAKE POISONING OF LOOK-ALIKE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Viktoria Nasyrova was sentenced today to 21 years in prison for poisoning a woman who resembled her with sedative-laced cheesecake and then stealing her identification and other property. District Attorney Katz said: “A ruthless and calculating con artist is going to prison for a long time for trying…
Read MoreDISTRICT ATTORNEY KATZ APPOINTS NEW CHIEF OF STAFF WENDY ERDLY
District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the appointment of Wendy Erdly as Chief of Staff. Erdly joins the office after nearly a decade of public service experience, most recently at the New York State Department of Financial Services as Deputy Superintendent for Cybersecurity. District Attorney Katz said: “I am pleased to welcome Ms. Erdly to the…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – April 14, 2023
Law enforcement officers bravely risk their lives every day to protect public safety. Last week, a rookie NYPD police officer was shot… (continued)
Read MoreLONG ISLAND TEEN CHARGED WITH LEAVING SCENE OF CRASH THAT KILLED 14-YEAR-OLD
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Yaser Ibrahim, 18, was arraigned on a charge of leaving the scene of a fatal incident without reporting it, as well as driving without a license, speeding and other vehicle and traffic violations, following a crash Monday night that left a 14-year-old boy dead in Astoria. DA Katz…
Read MoreDEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED MURDER IN OFF-DUTY COP SHOOTING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Chad Collie pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the shooting of an off-duty NYPD officer who he was trying to carjack. The incident took place on February 1, 2022, in Far Rockaway. District Attorney Katz said: “We will not allow our communities to devolve into a state of…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE IN POLICE SHOOTING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Devin Spraggins was arraigned today in Queens Criminal Court on two counts of attempted murder in the first degree in connection to a confrontation with NYPD officers on Wednesday during which rookie Officer Brett Boller was shot. District Attorney Katz said: “We will not allow our great city…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – April 7, 2023
We all know that drinking and driving is deadly. But, unfortunately, fatal crashes where at least one driver is impaired… (continued)
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – March 31, 2023
Hate-motivated incidents of violence are especially pernicious. The perpetrators of these terrible acts strike… (continued)
Read MoreWOMAN CHARGED WITH MURDER AND ARSON FOR NYCHA APARTMENT FIRE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Tandika Wright was arraigned on murder, arson and other charges in the death of a neighbor found inside a burning New York City Housing Authority apartment with numerous lacerations about her body. District Attorney Katz said: “We will seek justice for the brutally murdered victim in this case.…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO WEAPONS POSSESSION FOR CACHE OF ILLEGAL GHOST GUNS IN BAYSIDE HOMES
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Andrew Chang pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon stemming from a March 2022 ghost gun bust. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant pleaded guilty to amassing an arsenal of lethal illegal weapons and ammunition and gear. We will continue to do everything we can to get…
Read MoreQUEENS MEN CONVICTED FOR DEADLY RICHMOND HILL SHOOTING
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shakim Allen and Dreshaun Smith were convicted of murder and other charges for shooting two brothers, killing one, during a Richmond Hill robbery in January 2017. District Attorney Katz said: “One of the victims, who was visiting from Guyana, lost his life trying to protect his younger brother.…
Read MoreBRONX MAN CONVICTED FOR SHOOTING INTO MTA BUS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Melvin Adams was convicted of attempted murder for shooting at an MTA bus and striking two passengers in August 2021. Adams’ did not like how someone looked at him and shot at him, hitting the bus instead. District Attorney Katz said: “No one should have to worry about…
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