Friday, May 27, 2005

DA BROWN: TWO FLUSHING RESIDENTS CHARGED IN BIAS-RELATED GRAFFITI VANDALISM; ALLEGEDLY WROTE ANTI-SEMITIC REMARKS THAT DEFACED VEHICLES IN QUEENS NEIGHBORHOOD; FACE UP TO FOUR YEARS IN PRISON

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that two young men have been charged in a bias-related graffiti vandalism incident in which they allegedly wrote anti-Semitic remarks on at least 18 vehicles in a Queens neighborhood that caused substantial property damage.

District Attorney Brown said, "The defendants are alleged to have used a black marker to deface at least 18 parked vehicles with anti-Semitic slurs in the Pomonok section of Queens in destructive and hateful acts of graffiti vandalism. The defendants have been charged with felony hate crime violations and face imprisonment of up to four years if convicted. Crimes motivated by bias and hate can never be tolerated. They threaten the safety and welfare of the entire community. When they do regrettably occur they will be vigorously prosecuted and severely punished.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as James Connolly aka SEP, 20, of 60-05 170th Street in Flushing, Queens and Anthony Larosa aka PINZ, 21, of 61-19 164th Street in Flushing, both with no known employment. The defendants have been charged with Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree As A Hate Crime, Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree As A Hate Crime and Making Graffiti and face up to four years in prison if convicted.

District Attorney Brown said that a criminal complaint charges that on May 18, 2005 between 12:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. in the vicinity of 164th Street and Jewel Avenue -- in front of Electchester Jewish Center -- in Fresh Meadows, Queens, the defendants caused damage by writing anti-Jewish remarks of “Kill all Jews on 7/14/05” and also drawing swastikas on at least 18 parked vehicles, three bus shelters, one United States Post Office mailbox and one newspaper box with a black marker.

According to the District Attorney, the investigation began earlier this month after police at the 107th Precinct received a report that a person’s vehicle had been marked with hateful remarks.

Defendant Connolly was arrested last night and defendant Larosa was arrested this morning by detectives of the 107th Precinct Detective Squad and are being held pending arraignment in Queens Criminal Court.

The investigation was conducted by Detectives Michael Flannery and Anthony D’Angelo of the New York City Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force under the supervision of Sergeants Michael Fanning and Ronald Lynch and the overall supervision of Captain Michael Osgood with the assistance of Detective Dan Schindlar of the New York City Police Department’s 107th Precinct.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael E. Brovner of the District Attorney's Gang Violence and Hate Crimes Bureau under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Mariela Palomino Herring, Bureau Chief, and Robert J. Hanophy, Deputy Bureau Chief, and George J. Farrugia, Supervisor, and the overall supervision of Senior Executive District Attorney for Trials James Clark Quinn and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Trials John H. Larsen.

It should be noted that criminal charges are merely an accusation and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.