BROOKLYN, NY – Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with robbery, assault, grand larceny and other charges for allegedly carjacking a woman as she sat in her car with her therapy dog, dragging her from the car before stealing it.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Thankfully this woman and her beloved dog were reunited following their frightening alleged encounter with the defendant. Luckily, the victim did not sustain more serious injuries, despite allegedly being brutally dragged from her car.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Kamani Romain, 21, of East New York, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew Sciarrino on a 12-count indictment in which he is charged with second- and third-degree robbery, second-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, third-degree attempted robbery, fourth-degree grand larceny, and other related charges. He was ordered to return to court on November 23, 2021.
The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on June 6, 2021, at about 1:15 p.m., the defendant allegedly approached a 73-year-old woman while she was sitting in her Honda Civic in the vicinity of Mill Avenue in Mill Basin, Brooklyn. The defendant allegedly punched the woman, dragged her from the driver’s seat, and drove off with her car. Her credit card, identification card and therapy dog Luna, a toy poodle, were inside of the car.
The victim suffered swelling to her head and lacerations to her knees and hands. She was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where she was treated and released.
Furthermore, it is alleged, on June 10, 2021, at approximately 6:30 a.m., on Berry Street, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the victim’s vehicle was recovered. A cigarette butt, a water bottle and an iPhone were recovered from inside the vehicle. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the defendant’s DNA was recovered from the items.
On June 13, 2021, the victim’s dog, Luna, was found in the vicinity of Utica Avenue and Linden Boulevard in East Flatbush by a good Samaritan.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Evan Hannay and Assistant District Attorney Christopher Rainwater of the District Attorney’s Red Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Karla Watson, Bureau Chief.