QUEENS, NY — Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the arraignment of six individuals following a grand jury indictment for an attack on two NYPD officers. The incident occurred early on June 17, near a hotel on 12th Street in Long Island City, as the officers were checking on the welfare of three unattended children riding bikes.
The defendants, identified as Juan Munoz, 25; Alejandro Munoz, 42; Karina Navarro-Chavez, 42, all of Long Island City; Miguel Chiluisa, 23, of Corona; Cristian Taipe, 30, of Astoria; and Natali Iza, 27, face charges including attempted assault in the first degree, attempted gang assault in the first and second degrees, assault in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child, and riot in the second degree. Additional charges against Chiluisa include escape in the second and third degrees, and both Chiluisa and Iza are charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
According to the charges, the altercation began when the officers approached the defendants after following the children to the hotel. The confrontation escalated rapidly as Iza allegedly initiated physical attacks on the officers, which then led to the group surrounding, punching, and kicking them. One of the officers was reportedly struck with a children’s bicycle and an unknown object during the melee. Chiluisa also attempted to flee the scene while handcuffed but was later apprehended in a nearby subway station.
The officers involved were taken to a local hospital, treated for injuries including shoulder pain and abrasions, and later released. District Attorney Katz emphasized the seriousness of the assault, vowing to vigorously prosecute those responsible for harming law enforcement personnel.
The defendants are set to return to court on August 13. If convicted of the top charges, they could face up to 15 years in prison.
