Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Rahmel Tedder was arraigned today on murder and other grand jury indictment charges for the July beating death of Michael Tobon, whom Tedder allegedly attacked with a chair while the victim was on the ground.

District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant allegedly attacked the victim while he lay defenseless on the ground and repeatedly hit the man in the head with a chair. Michael Tobon suffered a traumatic brain injury and died the following day from the injuries he sustained. Our thoughts are with the Tobon family as we prosecute this case.”

Tedder, 30, of 175^th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was arraigned today before Queens Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone on a five-count indictment charging him with murder in the second degree, assault in the second degree, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Justice Vallone ordered him to return to court on September 17.

According to the indictment and charges:

• Video surveillance footage allegedly shows defendant Tedder on July 26, at approximately 4:15 a.m., approach 39-year-old Michael Tobon, in front of 90-25 175^th Street. The defendant allegedly picked up a chair and then hit Tobon on the head with the chair several times while he lay prone on the ground.
• Tedder covered the victim’s body with a cloth and ran from the scene. The defendant put the chair used in the deadly attack among garbage bags some distance away on 175^th Street. He eventually returned before police arrived.
• Police responding to the scene of the incident discovered Tobon unconscious and severely injured on the sidewalk. He was transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery for traumatic brain injury and skull fracture. He did not regain brain function and died as a result of his injuries.
• The defendant was arrested shortly after the incident at the intersection of 175^th Street and 90^thAvenue.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Alex Hojnowski of the 103^rd Precinct.

Assistant District Attorney Eric Weinstein of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Veronika Podoprigora, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, and Karen Ross, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.