Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Feliz Enrique was arraigned on a grand jury indictment charging him with assault in the first degree and other crimes. The defendant allegedly approached a 9-year-old girl as she was playing on a Glendale street and forcefully struck the child with his hand on May 10. When a nearby, off-duty police sergeant intervened with bystanders to apprehend him following the incident, Enrique allegedly bit off the top segment of the officer’s right index finger.

District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant is accused of approaching a defenseless child and striking her in an unprovoked attack. A nearby, off-duty police sergeant and two bystanders saw this shocking incident unfold and immediately intervened to apprehend the defendant. As the off-duty officer struggled to detain him, Feliz Enrique bit the sergeant on his knee and hand causing permanent disfigurement to the sergeant’s finger. I thank the off-duty sergeant and the good Samaritans who helped detain this defendant before cops arrived.”

Feliz Enrique, 31, of 68^th Street in Glendale, was arraigned yesterday on an indictment charging him with assault in the first, second and third degrees, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment in the second degree.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court July 10. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

According to the charges, on May 10, between 4:10 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Enrique approached a 9-year-old girl near the intersection of 67^th Place and Central Avenue in Glendale and engaged the child in conversation by asking her name. When the child responded, Enrique forcefully struck her in the face with his hand causing her to fall to the ground.

Immediately after the incident, off-duty Sergeant Sebastian Hajder, who was nearby, and two good Samaritans attempted to apprehend the defendant. In the ensuing struggle, Enrique bit the sergeant on the knee, hand and finger. The defendant bit off the top portion of the officer’s right index finger.

The girl was treated at a local hospital and sustained bruising to her arm and back, bleeding to her lip and arm, loose teeth as well as substantial pain.

Sergeant Hajder was also treated at a local hospital and sustained bite marks to his hand and leg and abrasions to his arm and leg. As a result of the defendant’s actions, doctors were unable to reattach the officer’s fingertip.

Assistant District Attorney Erin Mullins, of the District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Michael Whitney, Bureau Chief, Roni C. Piplani and Timothy Regan, Deputy Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.