Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that two 16-year-old girls were charged with attempted gang assault, assault and attempted robbery and other crimes in connection with the beating of a 15-year-old girl in the 46^th Street subway station in Astoria on June 2. The defendants and victim are students at William Cullen Bryant High School in Astoria.

District Attorney Katz said: “What an outrageous display of bullying and brutality. A high school student was mercilessly tased, kicked, punched and stomped on by a mob of fellow students at a train station after dismissal from William Cullen Bryant High School. This will not be acceptable behavior here in Queens and I will hold students accountable for this behavior to the extent the law allows. We are grateful that the victim is recovering. The investigation is continuing into the conduct of other individuals.”

The two 16-year-old defendants, both of Elmhurst, were arraigned yesterday on a criminal complaint charging them with attempted gang assault in the first degree, attempted robbery in the first degree, two counts of attempted robbery in the second degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, attempted assault in the second degree, attempted robbery in the third degree, attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree, assault in the third degree, attempted assault in the third degree and attempted petit larceny.

Judge Bruna DiBiase ordered them to return to court June 18. If convicted of the top count, they face up to 15 years in prison.

District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges, on June 2, at approximately 3 p.m., the victim, a sophomore, left William Cullen Bryant High School and was targeted by the defendants both high school juniors and others. The group followed the 15-year-old girl to the nearby 46^th Street M and R subway station in Astoria.

Inside the stairwell of the station, the victim was attacked by a mob of teenagers who allegedly punched, kicked and stomped on her head, face and body. The victim was also tased during the assault and members of the group attempted to steal a bookbag in her possession.

The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of her injuries.

Assistant District Attorneys Alyssa Parisi and Mirza Hadzic in the District Attorney’s Felony Trial Bureau IV are prosecuting the case, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Karen Rankin, Bureau Chief, Tara DiGregorio and Robert Ferino, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Supreme Court Trial Division Pishoy Yacoub.