Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Marco Mosquera, 43, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on attempted murder, kidnapping and other charges for allegedly pointing loaded firearms at his wife and shooting several times at police officers who responded to their Ozone Park home on September 14, 2021.

District Attorney Katz said, “This defendant in this case was filled with jealousy when he took his wife’s service weapons and threatened both their lives. The responding officers swiftly took control of this crisis and averted a much greater tragedy that day.”

Mosquera, of Ozone Park, Queens, was arraigned today before Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Yavinsky on a thirteen-count indictment charging him with attempted murder in the first and second degree, assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree. Judge Yavinsky remanded the defendant and set his return date for November 10, 2021. Mosquera faces 75 years to life in prison if convicted.

According to the charges, at approximately 6:00 a.m. on September 14, 2021, the defendant confronted his wife, who was off-duty from the New York Police Department, when she entered their home in Ozone Park. The defendant became increasingly agitated and broke picture frames and other household items around the residence.

Officer Mosquera tried to calm her husband and clean up. The victim turned her back to her husband as they continued to argue and he retreated to his wife’s bedroom. The defendant emerged from her bedroom and approached her from behind, allegedly pointing her two service weapons at her. Officer Mosquera told the defendant that his actions would make the situation worse. The defendant allegedly warned his wife not to contact law enforcement or the “things would end badly” and reportedly said “there was no way out for them” and that “they would be dying that day.” Officer Mosquera was able to access a telephone and made calls to a relative, then her supervisors and 911 for assistance.

Continuing, according to DA Katz, when officers from the 106^th Precinct and Emergency Service unit responded to the home, they discovered the entrance was barricaded. The defendant allegedly fired multiple shots toward the responding officers that shattered the glass door panel. Another responding officer was able to contact Officer Mosquera inside the house by telephone and instructed her to exit the residence. Officer Mosquera made her way to a second-floor bedroom and jumped from its window. When she landed on the concrete below an officer was able to protect her with a ballistics blanket and shielded them both from additional shots from defendant Mosquera. At that time, other Emergency Service officers returned fire at the defendant and struck him once in the forearm. As alleged, the defendant then retreated, walking backwards into the house and continuing to shoot towards officers.

After the defendant eventually surrendered to officers, officers  recovered firearms on the walkway beside the home and ammunition- including more than twenty rifle casings, nine .9mm casings inside and outside a bedroom window and discovered bullet marks inside and nearby the home.

The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for multiple leg fractures. The defendant was also treated for gunshot injuries at a local hospital.

Assistant District Attorney Konstantinos Litourgis of the District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Shawn Clark, Bureau Chief, Michael Whitney, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of Major Crimes Daniel Saunders.