Posts by Renea Henry
LONG ISLAND MAN WHO LURED TWO VICTIMS TO LOCATIONS FOR SEX FACES 20 YEARS IN PRISON
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Gil Iphael pleaded guilty to kidnapping, robbery and promoting prostitution for three incidents in which he enticed victims to go to a location for sex, then detained, assaulted and robbed them with the help of a female co-defendant. In one instance, he beat a victim and threatened…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN INDICTED AND IN CUSTODY FOR 2021 FATAL GUNPOINT ROBBERY IN ASTORIA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jordan Hannah, an FDNY EMT, was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on first-degree murder and other charges for the fatal gunpoint robbery of 22-year-old Kyle Griffin in April 2021. Griffin was seated in his white Range Rover near the corner of 41st Street and 30th…
Read MoreSUNNYSIDE COUPLE SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF NEIGHBOR AFTER FIGHT OVER PARKING SPOT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that married couple Arturo Cuevas and Daisy Barrera have been sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder for the stabbing and baseball bat attack of their neighbor, a 28-year-old man, in March 2023. The assault stemmed from a previous dispute between the couple…
Read MoreQUEENS GANG LEADER CONVICTED OF MURDER FOR SHOOTING DEATH OF BRONX MAN AT RUFUS KING PARK IN 2020
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Chance Goode has been found guilty of murder in the second degree for the death of a 22-year-old Bronx man during a broad daylight shooting in Rufus King Park in Jamaica in October 2020. The murder stemmed from a marijuana deal gone wrong. District Attorney Katz said:…
Read MoreBROOKLYN MAN CHARGED IN BURGLARY PATTERN FOR BREAKING INTO HOMES THROUGHOUT QUEENS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Zengguo Chen has been charged with burglary, grand larceny, assault and other crimes in connection with a pattern of home burglaries that took place between October and February. Chen is alleged to have entered homes through windows and taken jewelry and other items. District Attorney Katz said:…
Read MoreDRIVER OF U-HAUL TRUCK INDICTED FOR HIT-AND-RUN CRASH THAT KILLED PEDESTRIAN ON SIDEWALK IN AUGUST 2024
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jamie Ferreira and Jennifer Sablan have been indicted for various crimes related to the August 2024 hit-and-run death of 56-year-old David Opiela. Ferreira is alleged to have been speeding in a U-Haul truck on Horace Harding Expressway when she struck the victim, who was standing on the sidewalk,…
Read MoreFLUSHING COSMETOLOGIST CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR PROVIDING PURPORTED BEAUTY TREATMENTS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Fei Min has been charged with assault, unauthorized practice and reckless endangerment for repeatedly injecting unknown substances during multiple visits into the face, neck and breasts of a client and purported that she was providing Botox, collagen and other treatments. Min lacked a license to provide such treatments.…
Read MoreBRONX WOMAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON FOR DEATH OF UBER PASSENGER IN HIGH-SPEED WHITESTONE EXPRESSWAY CRASH
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Melissa Rodriguez-Lopez was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for killing a 62-year-old Uber passenger in May 2023. Rodriguez-Lopez sped at 123 miles per hour while racing with others on the Whitestone Expressway, caused a fatal roadway crash then fled the scene with another racer and reported…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO RAPE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR DAYLIGHT ROOFTOP ATTACK ON WOMAN IN 2023
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jerson Vasquez pleaded guilty to rape, attempted murder and another charge for the violent sexual assault of a woman on a rooftop in August 2023. The defendant answered an online prostitution advertisement and lured the victim to the location. District Attorney Katz said: “This was a brazen and…
Read MoreQUEENS VILLAGE MAN CHARGED WITH WEAPON POSSESSION AFTER GHOST GUN CACHE FOUND AT HIS HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jonathan Diaz was charged with weapon possession and other crimes after an investigation led to the discovery of four ghost guns and ammunition at his Queens Village home. The guns were allegedly made on a 3D printer at the defendant’s residence. District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant,…
Read MoreTENANT CHARGED WITH MURDER OF BUILDING SUPERINTENDENT WHO WAS TRYING TO COLLECT UNPAID RENT
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Sandra Coto-Navarro has been charged with murder for allegedly killing her building’s superintendent, 55-year-old Jose Portillo, inside her apartment in Kew Gardens Hills. The victim reportedly entered the defendant’s apartment around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday to collect unpaid rent on behalf of the landlord. The super’s coworkers called the…
Read MoreFORMER MANHATTAN MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR EXECUTION-STYLE MURDER IN 1990
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Kevin Smith was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison following a trial conviction for murder. The defendant killed a long-time acquaintance with a gunshot to the back of the head while seated in the back seat of a vehicle in February 1990. Smith was previously…
Read MoreDEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR APRIL 2020 STRAY BULLET SHOOTING OF NYCHA WORKER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jerald Bethea has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Darrian Ramdial of Mount Vernon in April 2020. The victim was an innocent bystander at work in the Astoria Houses when he was hit by a bullet that the defendant…
Read MoreTWO MEN CHARGED WITH PARTICIPATING IN INTERNATIONAL STOLEN MERCHANDISE RING AND DIVERTING PRODUCTS MEANT FOR LARGE BEAUTY RETAILERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Leudy Marte and Wilton Pena de Dios were charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and conspiracy for their roles in a large-scale retail theft and fencing operation based in Kew Gardens Hills. The pair allegedly diverted more than $1 million in products from Sol…
Read MoreQUEENS MAN SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING OF CHILD IN JULY 2021
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that James McGonagle was sentenced to seven years in prison for the attempted kidnapping of a 5-year-old boy, a stranger whom he grabbed off the sidewalk in Richmond Hill in July 2021. District Attorney Katz said, “James McGonagle attempted to abduct a 5-year-old child as the victim and…
Read MoreBRONX WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER FOR HIGH-SPEED CRASH THAT KILLED UBER PASSENGER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Melissa Rodriguez-Lopez pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for killing a 62-year-old Uber passenger in May 2023. The defendant sped at 123 miles per hour on the Whitestone Expressway, caused a fatal roadway crash and then fled the scene with other racers. She later reported her…
Read MoreCOUPLE PLEAD GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED MURDER OF NEIGHBOR IN SUNNYSIDE PARKING SPOT ATTACK
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that married couple Arturo Cuevas and Daisy Barrera pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted murder in the second degree for stabbing and battering their neighbor, a 28-year-old man, during a March 2023 confrontation in Sunnyside over a parking space. The couple had previously fought with the victim over a parking…
Read MoreYour Weekly Update – January 3, 2025
Dear Friends and Neighbors, When I first took the oath of this office five years ago, it was a time of unprecedented challenges throughout this borough, city and nation. By building bridges and increasing engagement with residents, we have not only only addressed immediate concerns but also… (continued)
Read MoreFAR ROCKAWAY MAN INDICTED FOR DRIVING DRUNK WITH HIS CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND CRASHING INTO SCHOOL BUS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Junior Deslances was indicted for aggravated vehicular assault, aggravated driving while intoxicated, endangering the welfare of a child and other crimes for allegedly driving his three children to school while under the influence, speeding and then crossing a double yellow line and hitting a school bus head on.…
Read MoreADVANCED DNA TESTING REVEALS IDENTITY OF VICTIM KILLED 33 YEARS AGO
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a female homicide victim, whose identity remained unknown for more than three decades, has now been identified as Judy Rodriguez by using advanced DNA testing. Rodriguez’s unidentified body, bound at the ankles with a cord and covered with a large wooden board, was discovered on August 25, 1991,…
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