One of the migrants accused of attacking two NYPD officers in Times Square pleaded guilty to a felony and will serve 364 days in jail. The other suspects were offered plea deals to serve a year in jail.
One of the migrants accused of participating in the vicious assault of two New York City police officers in Times Square earlier this year accepted a plea deal in court Monday.
Under the terms of the deal offered by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Darwin Gomez-Izquiel, 19, will serve 364 days in jail.
Times Square Migrant Assault Suspect Sentenced to Jail
The other migrants — Yohenry Brito, 24, Ulises Bohorquez, 21 — were offered plea deals to serve a year in jail in exchange for pleading guilty to second-degree assault, the New York Post reports, citing the DA’s office.
Patrick Hendry, president of the New York Police Benevolent Association, said the suspects should be required to serve longer sentences, but that he was glad that Gomez-Izquiel pleaded guilty to a felony.
Times Square Migrant Assault Suspect Sentenced to Jail
“However, the important test will come once his sentence is up," he said in a statement. "He needs to be deported immediately upon release, without setting another foot on our city streets."
Hendry noted that several other defendants had a bigger role in the gang assault on officers whose cases are still pending.
Times Square Migrant Assault Suspect Sentenced to Jail
The case stems from the January attack on an NYPD officer and lieutenant who were telling several migrants to move along a street in Times Square. Surveillance footage shows the migrants attacking the cops, punching and kicking them on the ground.
Many were charged with assault and released without bail. One of the suspects — Yorman Reveron, 24 — had two pending cases for assault and robbery.
The attacks prompted much criticism of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the Biden administration over the influx and release of migrants into the United States.
Gomez-Izquiel's plea deal is the first of several that are expected in the case. The other defendants are scheduled to appear in court on May 23 and 24.
The January attack was one of several high-profile incidents involving migrants in New York City in recent months. In February, a migrant was charged with murder after allegedly pushing a woman to her death in front of an oncoming subway train. In March, a migrant was arrested for allegedly stabbing his wife to death in their Queens apartment.
These incidents have raised concerns about the safety of migrants and the impact of their presence on the city. Some have called for stricter enforcement of immigration laws, while others have argued that migrants should be treated with compassion and given a path to citizenship.
The debate over immigration is likely to continue in the coming months, as more migrants arrive in the United States and look to make a new life for themselves.
