Man accused of killing mugger in Queens due back in court on weapons charges

Monday, June 5, 2023
KEW GARDENS, Queens (WABC) -- The man who claims he shot and killed a would-be mugger in self-defense is expected back in court Monday.

Charles Foehner, 65, is being held on $50,000 bail on 26 weapons charges.
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Judge Iannece showed Foehner no sympathy during the brief court appearance, doubling the amount initially requested by the Queens District Attorney's Office.

"The defendant was on the street with a loaded, unlicensed gun," Iannece said. "There are too many shootings in this city! The court is quite concerned with what we see."

He told police he was walking through a driveway in Kew Gardens, Queens last Wednesday when a man with a sharp object demanded money and cigarettes from him.

Foehner says he pulled out a gun and shot the man, killing 32-year-old Cody Gonzalez.



Investigators revealed that the robbery suspect was not armed with a weapon, but had a pen. Gonzalez had more than a dozen prior arrests.

Investigators say a search of Foehner's apartment revealed an arsenal of weapons including pistols, shotguns, rifles, an A-K-47 and high-capacity magazines.
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He also had two body armor vests.

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The retired doorman allegedly told detectives he collects the firearms as a hobby. But Foehner does not have a permit for the pistol or for most of the weapons he collected.



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