The unexpected promotion of Brett Boller, a detective who was shot and near termination, was discussed in the backdrop of the ruling against his assailant, Devin Spraggins. The courtroom, presided over by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, echoed with the sentence of 39 years to life in prison for Spraggins.
The year 2024 was ushered in New York City with a tragic event – its first homicide. On the inaugural day of the year, a heated alteraction between a Manhattan bouncer and two men outside a Karaoke bar in Elmhurst culminated in a stabbing incident. The bar, located near 76th Street and Roosevelt Ave, became a crime scene just before the daybreak.
The victim, 29-year-old Tsering Wangdu, of 81st Street, had been welcoming the New Year with a friend at KTM bar and lounge. The pleasant celebration turned sour when they got into a heated confrontation with the bouncer, Torrance Holmes. The disagreement quickly escalated into a violent encounter, which moved into the streets where Holmes allegedly stabbed both men.
Emergency services were promptly alerted and arrived at the scene to rush the victims to the nearby Elmhurst Hospital. Unfortunately, despite immediate medical attention, Wangdu succumbed to his injuries. Shortly after, Holmes was arrested from his residence in Hamilton Heights and escorted back to Queens to face the consequences of his unlawful actions.
The narrative of gruesome events was amplified in Flushing where a 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted. The suspect, Christian Inga, masterfully evaded a rigorous citywide manhunt for five days, only to be found by angry civilians in Corona. The community’s residents trapped him by the rooming house where he resided until authorities took him into custody.
Inga, an immigrant from Ecuador, had landed in Queens after illicitly crossing the southern border at Eagle Pass, Texas, in 2021. The 25-year-old, who was later recognized by the crowd at a store near Waldron Street and 108th Street, was initially taken to Elmhurst Hospital. Later, he was accused of rape in the first degree along with several other charges related to an attack that happened in Kissena Corridor Park.
The young victim and her friend had been innocently playing soccer in the park after school when Inga, armed with a machete-like knife, approached them. Under the threat of the weapon, they were escorted to a secluded section of the park. Here, the young girl was brutally assaulted while her friend was forced to bear witness to the horrifying event.
The charges against Inga were serious, including predatory sexual assault, rape, kidnapping, endangerment to a child, and many more. A Queens grand jury deliberated over the evidence and formally indicted him. If found guilty, Inga could be facing a prison sentence stretching up to 25 years to life.
On the fateful day of March 25, during late afternoon, Police Officer Jonathan Diller and his partner observed a suspicious man during a traffic stop on Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway. As Diller approached the vehicle to enforce the law, the situation took a turn for the worst. Guy Rivera from Woodside, the man in question, revealed a concealed firearm and fired a shot at Dille struck horrifyingly close, just below his bulletproof vest.
Even while swiftly attended by the emergency medical services, Diller’s injuries proved fatal and he passed away at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. The Police Department commemorated the brave officer, who lost his life at the tender age of 31 after only three years of service, by promoting him to the rank of Detective posthumously.
One bustling morning of July 8, Richmond Hill streets were the stage for a dreadful shooting spree led by a Cypress Hill local, Thomas Abreu. The series of tragic events began when Abreu, noticed on CCTV riding a scooter, shot Hamod Saeidi in the back. Despite the immediate medical intervention, Saeidi, a father of six, could not survive.
Abreu, still on his scooter, continued his wave of terror, launching attacks on an innocent pedestrian and another individual crossing the road – fortunately missing both. Further, at 126th Street and Hillside Avenue, he fired at a minivan’s driver at a perilously close range.
In a late-night invasion on Aug 17, a group of three masked men from Cambria Heights forced their way into a family’s home located on 247th Street in Douglaston. As these home invaders threatened the homeowners to reveal their cash stash, a mother managed to escape through a restroom window with her infant and alert the police.
On Sunday, Aug 18, whilst the sun was setting, a feud escalated into an unfortunate act of fatality at the Agenda Restaurant and Lounge at 28-18 31st S. Percy Forrest, a 55-year-old man from Port Chester, ended up in a fight with another patron. The conflict, starting indoors, spilled onto the streets of Newtown road, ending with Forrest succumbing to a stab wound.