Brooklyn man indicted after cousin left unconscious in street and run over
Queens, NY – A family argument before dawn on a busy Queens roadway spiraled into a near-fatal attack that prosecutors say ended with a man left unconscious in traffic and struck by a passing vehicle.
A Queens grand jury has indicted Jonathan Velez, 45, of Brooklyn, on charges of first-degree assault, second-degree assault and first-degree reckless endangerment in connection with an August attack on his cousin in Ozone Park. Prosecutors allege the violence unfolded on Rockaway Boulevard after the two men argued while returning from a birthday gathering.
According to the indictment and investigation, Velez and his cousin, Manuel Rivera, 39, were traveling together in Rivera’s vehicle during the early morning hours when the dispute turned physical. After the car was stopped along Rockaway Boulevard, Velez allegedly struck Rivera with a single punch that knocked him to the ground.
Prosecutors say that while Rivera lay unconscious, Velez went through his cousin’s pockets and rummaged through the vehicle before fleeing the scene. Rivera was left lying in the roadway.
Minutes later, Rivera was struck by a passing vehicle and suffered catastrophic injuries. He was rushed to a local hospital with internal bleeding, a fractured skull and missing teeth. He remains hospitalized and unresponsive.
Velez was arraigned Wednesday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino, who ordered him to return to court on March 9. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
The defendant was taken into custody earlier Wednesday morning in Kew Gardens. The case is being prosecuted by the Queens District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau.
Any charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Key Points
- A Brooklyn man was indicted for assault and reckless endangerment in a near-fatal attack on his cousin
- Prosecutors say the victim was knocked unconscious, robbed, and left in the roadway
- The victim was later run over by a passing vehicle and remains hospitalized