Migrants accused of attacking NYPD officers arrested in Arizona
The names of the men arrested in Phoenix on Monday over the brawl near Times Square are yet to be released
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Three migrants accused of attacking NYPD officials last month before being released without bail have been captured by immigration officials in Arizona.
The arrests on Monday by ICE come days after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg dismissed criticism over his office’s failure to seek bail in the case — essentially allowing some of the suspects to walk free pending an indictment by a grand jury.
The men were allegedlly part of a brawl that went on to attack two NYPD officers as they tried to break up the fight in front of a shelter near Times Square on 27 January. After four of the suspects were released without bail, it emerged that they had fled the state and were believed to be headed to Mexico via California.
On Tuesday, a source told Fox News that three of the suspects were arrested at a Greyhound bus station in Phoneix.
The names of the men arrested on Monday have not been released. The Independent has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
A total of seven individuals were arrested in New York City last week in connection with the shocking incident that was captured in surveillance video. The men, whose legal status in the US is unknown but are all considered migrants, were recorded kicking and punching the officers as they were making an arrest.
Charges of assault and disorderly conduct were filed against six suspects, while a seventh was not charged due to insufficient evidence, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Four of those charged, 19-year-olds Darwin Andres Gomez and Kelvin Servita Arocha, Wilson Juarez, 21, and 24-year-old Yorman Reveron, were released without bail.
Only one suspect, 24-year-old Yohenry Brito, was held on $15,000 cash bail after he was identified on the video thanks to a “distinct tattoo.”
Seven additional suspects are being sought.
Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James have led criticism over DA Alvin Bragg’s failure to seek bail last week. Because of a state bill introduced by Mr Bragg in 2020, judges are barred from seeking bail, leaving prosecutors to request it in cases determined appropriate.
Mr Bragg previously defended his stance and argued that the evidence available at the time of the suspects’ arrests was insufficient to secure bail. He was expected to present the case before a grand jury on Tuesday.
“While the video is shocking and disturbing, in order to secure convictions in a court of law it is essential that we conclusively identify each defendant and specify each person’s participation in the incident,” Mr Bragg said last week.
Authorities said last week that the suspects had been staying at a migrant shelter in front of where the attack unfolded near Times Square.
The officers were making an arrest when several people intervened and became physically aggressive, leaving the officers with minor injuries.