Three men charged in douglaston home invasion, hostage situation

DOUGLASTON, Queens — Three men have been charged with kidnapping, burglary, and other crimes following a home invasion in Douglaston early Saturday morning, during which they allegedly held eight people, including three children, hostage. The Queens District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on Sunday, detailing the harrowing ordeal that unfolded at a residence on 247th Street.

According to the charges, the suspects—Ryan Dash, 34, Brandon Dash, 39, and Jone Smith, 47, also known as Conrad Harrigan—all of Cambria Heights, entered the home around 2:15 a.m. on August 17, 2024. The men, who were masked and armed with a gun and hammers, allegedly forced their way into the homeowners’ bedroom, where the couple was sleeping with their 1-year-old child. The defendants are accused of restraining the occupants and demanding money under the threat of violence.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz described the incident as an egregious violation of the victims’ safety. “As alleged, these three defendants held a family of eight people, including children, as hostages, while displaying a gun and two hammers,” Katz said in a statement. “These victims showed incredible courage during a home invasion in which a mother escaped with her youngest child and called 911.”

During the ordeal, a mother managed to flee the home with her infant, contacting the police and prompting an immediate response. Authorities say the suspects stole more than $10,000 in cash before being apprehended after an extensive manhunt in the vicinity. The stolen money was recovered, and the remaining hostages were freed. Two of the adult hostages were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.

The defendants appeared before Queens Criminal Court Judge Gonzales on Sunday evening, facing a 24-count complaint that includes charges of kidnapping in the second degree, burglary in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, and endangering the welfare of a child, among others. If convicted, each man could face up to 25 years in prison.

The investigation, led by Police Officer John Adames and other members of the NYPD’s 111th Precinct, remains ongoing. The defendants are scheduled to return to court on August 22.

Assistant District Attorney Hugh McCann of the Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case, with oversight from Bureau Chief Michael Whitney and Deputy Chief Roni C. Piplani.

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