QUEENS, NY — A Queens man was sentenced to 34 years in prison on Thursday for firing at police officers during a standoff at his South Ozone Park residence in September 2021. The confrontation began with an altercation between Marco Mosquera, 46, and his then-wife, an off-duty NYPD officer, and escalated into a violent standoff involving firearms.

Mosquera was convicted in December 2024 on multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, and criminal possession of weapons. Prosecutors detailed how Mosquera held his wife against her will, used her service firearms to threaten her, and shot at responding officers.

District Attorney Melinda Katz said the defendant’s actions endangered both his wife and law enforcement personnel. “It is due to the victim’s bravery and the professionalism of the NYPD that tragedy was averted,” she said in a statement.

According to court testimony, Mosquera barricaded himself in the home and fired multiple shots, one of which shattered a glass door panel and struck an officer’s boot. His wife, who was held at gunpoint, escaped by jumping out of a second-story window, fracturing her knee in the process. Officers covered her with a ballistic blanket as the defendant continued firing at them.

Mosquera eventually surrendered after being injured during the exchange of gunfire and was taken into custody. Justice Michal Yavinsky imposed the sentence, citing the severity of Mosquera’s actions

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.