News
EDGEMERE MAN SENTENCED TO 19 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATAL SHOOTING OF 10-YEAR-OLD BOY IN DISPUTE OVER SHARED DRIVEWAY
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Ashram Lochan has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for the fatal shooting of 10-year-old Justin Wallace in June 2021. Lochan pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter last month admitting he directed Jovan Young to fire multiple gunshots into his neighbor’s doorway because of a grudge over…
LONG ISLAND MAN CHARGED WITH SCHEME TO DEFRAUD FOR REAL ESTATE SCAM THAT TARGETED RENTERS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Rajat Verma was indicted for scheme to defraud, grand larceny, identity theft and other crimes for a rental fraud scheme involving seven Queens properties and one in Brooklyn. Verma allegedly rented apartments by providing forged checks to landlords and, in turn, rented out the same properties to…
RICHMOND HILL MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR KILLING ESTRANGED WIFE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Angel Apodaca was charged with murder for the death of 24-year-old Tania Morales Garcia. Apodaca went to his estranged wife’s Kew Gardens Hills apartment, where she lived with their 2-year-old son, and allegedly stabbed her multiple times. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, Angel Apodaca ruthlessly stabbed his…
QUEENS GUN BUYBACK EVENT NETS 176 WEAPONS, INCLUDING ASSAULT WEAPONS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 176 guns were collected Saturday during a buyback event cosponsored by her office and the NYPD at the Majority Baptist Church in Jamaica. This was the 14th gun buyback event by the Queens District Attorney’s office since 2020. The events have recovered a total of 1,025 firearms and…
EDGEMERE MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR KILLING GIRLFRIEND
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Rogelio Lozano-Garita was charged with murder, weapon possession and related crimes for the shooting death of his girlfriend, 35-year-old Seraphina Pereira, and then concealing her body in a shallow grave at Rockaway Community Park. The defendant allegedly transported the victim’s body to the park in a wagon. District…
FAR ROCKAWAY MAN INDICTED FOR FIRST-DEGREE MURDER FOR KILLING MOTHER AND SISTER IN FAR ROCKAWAY HOME
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kegan Thomas was indicted on charges of murder in the first degree, attempted murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, arson and other crimes for killing his mother and sister in the family’s Far Rockaway home. Thomas allegedly started a fire and caused an explosion…
FIVE ALLEGED TRINITARIOS GANG MEMBERS INDICTED FOR VIOLENT TWO-DAY SHOOTING SPREE IN CORONA
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced that five defendants have been indicted for a violent shooting spree over two days in late August. The defendants, ranging in age from 14 to 29, are variously charged in a 25-count indictment with conspiracy, attempted murder, weapon possession and…
QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON HATE CRIME CHARGE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE OUTSIDE JEWISH-OWNED BAGEL SHOP THAT DISPLAYED ISRAELI FLAGS
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dawood Faisal was indicted for a hate crime for destroying property in May outside a kosher bagel store on Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows that displayed Israeli flags. Faisal allegedly knocked over multiple plant stands outside the shop on two separate occasions and, in one instance, hurled dirt…
17-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR DEATH OF 14-YEAR-OLD IN EDGEMERE
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a 17-year-old defendant was charged with murder and weapon possession for the broad daylight shooting death of 14-year-old Malakai Adams at the Ocean Bay Apartments on September 21. The defendant allegedly took off after the shooting on the victim’s scooter. District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, this was…
FLUSHING DRIVER CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER AND DWI FOR KILLING BABY IN STROLLER
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Elvin Rivera has been charged with manslaughter, driving while ability impaired and related charges for accelerating through a stop sign and fatally striking a 1-year-old child on Sunday morning who was being pushed in a stroller by his nanny in Flushing. Justin Hu was rushed to the hospital…
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