Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that six people were arraigned on a grand jury indictment charging them with attempted assault in the first degree, attempted gang assault in the first and second degrees and related crimes for an attack on two NYPD officers. The officers were checking on the welfare of three unattended children riding bikes before dawn near a hotel on 12^th Street in Long Island City on June 17.

District Attorney Katz said: “Two police officers, who were checking on the welfare of unattended children at 4:20 a.m., were allegedly surrounded and punched and kicked by a group of adults in an assault outside a Long Island City hotel. My office will vigorously prosecute those who harm members of law enforcement, and we will hold these defendants responsible for their alleged actions.”

Juan Munoz, 25, Alejandro Munoz, 42, and Karina Navarro-Chavez, 42, all of 10^th Street in Long Island City; Miguel Chiluisa, 23, of Roosevelt Avenue in Corona; Cristian Taipe, 30, of 36^th Avenue in Astoria; and Natali Iza, 27, were arraigned today on an indictment charging them with two counts of attempted assault in the first degree; two counts of attempted gang assault in the first degree; four counts of assault in the second degree;  two counts of attempted gang assault in the second degree; two counts of endangering the welfare of a child; and riot in the second degree. Chiluisa is also charged with both escape in the second and third degrees and he and Iza are additionally charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.

If convicted of the top count, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison. The defendants are due back in court on August 13.

According to the charges:

• On June 17, at approximately 4:20 a.m., two police officers observed three young children riding bicycles unattended on the sidewalk near a hotel at 38-70 12^th Street in Long Island City.
• The officers followed the unattended children to 38-70 12^th Street and approached the defendants, who were standing nearby. Iza began yelling at the cops, pushing and striking one of the officers, while the others surrounded him.
• Chiluisa allegedly picked up a children’s bicycle and threw the bike at an officer, striking the officer on the body, while Navarro-Chavez allegedly struck the officer on the back of the head with an unknown object.
• Iza struck another officer with a children’s bicycle, while the group began to punch, shove and kick the officers.
• Chiluisa then ran across the street, while handcuffed, and fled in an unknown direction.
• Chiluisa was observed by another officer inside of the 21^st Street-Queensbridge subway station at approximately 5:16 a.m. and was placed under arrest. The defendant had a broken handcuff around one of his hands.
• The officers were taken to a local hospital where they were treated for their injuries including shoulder pain and abrasions.

Assistant District Attorney Dina Hodges of the District Attorney’s Felony Trials Bureau IV is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Karen Rankin, Bureau Chief, Robert Ferino and Timothy Regan, Deputy Chiefs, who are under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of the Supreme Court Trial Division Pishoy B. Yacoub.