Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Warren Rollins was indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder, manslaughter, leaving the scene of an incident and related crimes for allegedly driving over a pedestrian who had been hit by another vehicle moments earlier. According to eyewitnesses, Rollins allegedly came to a complete stop and was fully aware that the victim was pinned underneath his vehicle when he sped away from the scene more than two minutes later. As a result, 66-year-old Gary Charlotin was fatally dragged several thousand feet along Hempstead Avenue in Queens Village.

DA Katz said: “This was a horrific death for the victim. As alleged, pedestrian Gary Charlotin was hit by a car while trying to cross Hempstead Avenue and thrown into the opposite traffic lane. The defendant then allegedly drove over the victim, stopped for more than two minutes and then proceeded to speed away from the scene while dragging the victim’s body, while the victim was still alive. The conduct displayed that evening demonstrates a complete disregard for human life.”

Rollins, 49, of Pine Street in Elmont, was arraigned today on a four-count indictment charging him with murder in the second degree, manslaughter in the second degree, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting and criminally negligent homicide.

Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis ordered him to return to court July 17. If convicted of the top count, Rollins faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

Osman Zavala-Varela, 38, of Hempstead, the driver alleged to have initially hit the victim in the December 2023 incident, was charged in a separate indictment in 2024 with leaving the scene of an incident without reporting and tampering with physical evidence.  He is due back in court July 10.

DA Katz said, according to the charges and the indictment, on December 10, 2023, at approximately 8:05 p.m., Rollins was operating a Chevrolet Traverse eastbound along Hempstead Avenue near 220^th Street in Queens Village when he struck Gary Charlotin who had been laying in the roadway. A few moments earlier, the victim was crossing westbound Hempstead Avenue mid-block when he was struck by a Toyota Camry. The initial strike caused the victim to be thrown into the eastbound lane.

Rollins stopped his car following the impact and was approached by multiple pedestrians who informed him that the victim was pinned underneath his Traverse. Eyewitnesses report that they instructed Rollins to not move his car.

Approximately two minutes later, Rollins allegedly drove off at a high rate of speed. The victim was dragged by the Traverse for several blocks before becoming dislodged in the vicinity of Hempstead Avenue at the Cross Island Parkway overpass, where he was found by good Samaritans.

When Charlotin was found he was still alive but was later pronounced dead at the scene.

A full investigation was launched by the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad and the Queens District Attorney’s office to review surveillance footage, track down both vehicles and the owners as well as test DNA from the damaged Traverse.

A grand jury voted to indict Rollins on the charges and an arrest warrant was issued. Rollins surrendered to law enforcement on June 3.

Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Selkowe, Unit Chief of the District Attorney’s Vehicular Homicide Unit and Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, is prosecuting the case with Assistant District Attorney Vivian Gonzalez of the Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.