BRONX, N.Y. — Four inmates at Rikers Island have been indicted on charges including first-degree gang assault and first-degree assault in connection with a March attack that left a fellow inmate with serious facial injuries, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office announced.
The defendants, Jamaud Cayenne, 21, David Mingo, 21, Damien Linares, 19, and Tony Smith, 20, are accused of attacking the victim over a perceived gang-related dispute. The incident occurred on March 17, when the victim attempted to enter a locked dayroom in the Robert N. Davoren Complex where the defendants, allegedly affiliated with a Bloods gang subset, were present.
Prosecutors said Cayenne and Linares punched and kicked the victim, while Mingo allegedly struck him in the face. Cayenne then allegedly used a sharp object to slash the man’s face, resulting in a wound that required 45 stitches. Smith is accused of kicking the victim during the assault.
“A petty gang-related beef” led to the violent attack, District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said, adding, “We will not tolerate gang violence in the jail.” A correction officer eventually deployed a chemical agent to diffuse the situation.
Mingo and Smith were arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court and are scheduled to return on December 12. Cayenne and Linares are expected to be arraigned at a later date.