8 more men wanted in attack on NYPD officers in Times Square, 6 charged
TIMES SQUARE, Manhattan (WABC) -- The search continues for at least eight other people involved in a fight with two NYPD officers in front of the migrant shelter on 42nd Street in Times Square.
It's believed that the men involved are migrants, and most, if not all, are believed to be residing in the city shelter system in housing for migrants.
The attack, which was caught on video, shows a group of men kicking and punching two NYPD officers on the sidewalk. According to the NYPD, the two officers were trying to break up the disorderly group when things escalated.
After the first five arrests were made, police announced Wednesday night that two more suspects were arrested, however the Manhattan District Attorney's office said they will not prosecute the seventh person, Jandry Barros.
"We vigorously condemn assaults on police officers and prosecute those responsible," a spokesperson said in a statement. "The question here is whether the person arrested was even involved. At this time there is not sufficient evidence that he is one of the people who committed this terrible act."
The sixth person arrested is accused of stealing the officers' cellphones during the attack and has prior arrests.
The six people arrested and prosecuted include:
- Yorman Reveron, 24, of Brooklyn. He's charged with assault on a police officer, gang assault, obstructing governmental administration, and disorderly conduct.
- Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19, of Columbus, Mississippi. He's charged with assault on a police officer, gang assault, obstructing governmental administration, and disorderly conduct.
- Wilson Juarez, 21, of Queens. He's charged with assault on a police officer, gang assault, obstructing governmental administration, and disorderly conduct.
- Kelvin Servita Arocha, 19, of Brooklyn. He's charged with assault on a police officer, gang assault, obstructing governmental administration, and disorderly conduct.
- Jhoan Boada, 22, who is homeless. He's charged with an attempted assault on a police officer and gang assault.
- Yohenry Brito, 24, of Manhattan. He's charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of assault on a police officer.
Of the 10 men that the NYPD has identified, seven have arrest histories, ranging from robbery to petit larceny.
Reveron has two prior arrests. In November, he allegedly assaulted a Nordstrom Rack employee attempting to stop him from shoplifting. And last month, he is accused of punching a Macy's employee trying to stop him and two others during a robbery at the Herald Square location.
On Wednesday night, NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry vowed to find the remaining suspects.
"We will comb this globe to look for you and bring you to justice," he said.
Brito was arraigned Thursday afternoon with bail set at $15,000 cash. He is the first of the defendants to be held on bail.
The first five suspects arrested were all released without bail and the Police Benevolent Association said it was outraged.
"Attacks on police officers are becoming an epidemic, and the reason is a revolving door we're seeing in cases like this one. It is impossible for police officers to deal effectively with crime and disorder if the justice system can't or won't protect us while we do that work," PBA President Patrick Hendry said.
Hendry said the melee dealt a blow to the rank and file and argued if the suspects aren't afraid to assault an officer, they won't be afraid to assault someone else.
Police and prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney's office are investigating whether the first four defendants, who were released without bail, subsequently boarded a bus to California using fake names.
Police sources said the four provided phony names to a non-profit group working with the city on migrant issues before boarding the bus. Workers were able to identify the men from their mug shots, which have circulated in the media.
Eyewitness News Reporter Josh Einiger did an exclusive ride along with the NYPD Wednesday night as officers patrolled the city and confiscated unregistered scooters, which sometimes belong to migrants.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is calling on witnesses to come forward.
"Violence against police officers is never acceptable. It is paramount that we conclusively identified each defendant and specify each participant's role in the incident. Every defendant charged so far is facing felony charges that carry a penalty of up to seven years," Bragg said.
On Thursday, there was concern from the New York Immigration Coalition that a few bad apples will put a target on the greater asylum-seeking population.
"I think that we have to really highlight that these are isolated incidents," said Robert Agyemang, Vice President of the New York Immigration Coalition. "It feeds into kind of the belief system that these people are coming and they're messing up things when it's not really the case."
"Very often they are very, very afraid of crime because they know crime is a one-way ticket for deportation," said Anthony Capote of the Immigration Research Initiative.
According to data from the mayor's office, there were less migrants in the city's care since last week.
On January 7, 2024, the city reported 69,000 migrants in their care, as opposed to 67,500 on January 23. Meaning that migrants are leaving the city's care faster than they are coming in.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, and on Twitter @NYPDTips.
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