QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) – A teenager has been charged for allegedly shoving a 68-year-old woman and then robbing her after she fell to the ground in front of a church, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Friday.
The 16-year-old suspect was also charged in connection with another robbery that occurred a few days before, Katz said. His name is being withheld due to his age.
“The viciousness with which the defendant is accused of having committed the robbery at the church struck the city at its core,” Katz said. “As alleged, he chose to rob an elderly woman by first pushing her down the stairs and then proceeded to take her purse and leave her to suffer while he took off in her car.”
The attack occurred on Sunday when the 68-year-old victim was headed to church. The victim was walking up a flight of stairs when the teen allegedly ran up the staircase, struck the victim, and caused her to fall backward down the stairs, according to the DA's office. The victim fell backward and hit her head on the concrete, surveillance video showed.
The teen then took her purse, which had $300, a cellphone, a credit card, and car keys inside, prosecutors said. He then entered the victim’s Nissan Altima and drove off, they said.
The victim was left in critical condition, according to the NYPD.
The teen was arrested on Thursday near his home, police said.
The suspect was also accused of a different robbery in Queens on April 4, authorities said. He allegedly followed a woman into an elevator and demanded money and the keys to her vehicle. He allegedly put his hands in his pocket and pointed to what appeared to be a weapon, officials said. The victim surrendered her keys and money, authorities said.
The teen was caught on surveillance video leaving the building and driving off in the woman's car, officials said.
The teen faces the following charges for the alleged church robbery:
- Assault in the first degree
- Robbery in the first degree
- Assault in the second degree
- Two counts of grand larceny
- Criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree
- Criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree
He was also charged in connection with the April 4 robbery:
- Two counts of robbery in the first degree
- Two counts of robbery in the second degree
- Grand larceny in the third degree
- Robbery in the third degree
- Criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree
- Three counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree
- Criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree
- Menacing in the second degree
- Petit larceny
- Unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree
If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
Article From:
pix11.com
English (US) ·