A group of Venezuelan migrants, who have criminal records, reportedly attacked the police officers of New York City after being caught stealing from a Target store on the Upper East Side. Shockingly, despite their crimes, most of them have been released and are now freely roaming the streets once again.
According to court records and law enforcement sources, a Manhattan judge released four out of the five repeat offenders who were involved in the audacious April 2 crime without bail. The incident resulted in one police officer being sent to the hospital.
A group of six individuals, who were accused of being involved in theft, targeted a store located on Third Avenue near East 70th Street at approximately 6:50 p.m. The criminals managed to snatch items worth $82 from the store’s displays.
The thieves caused a path of devastation as they took hold of a backpack from a shelf, severed its security tag, and proceeded to go through the store, filling it with various items. These included a gaming light, tools, and a range of snacks such as Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes, Doritos, strawberries, and bottled water. This information comes from both sources and a criminal complaint.
According to sources, when the NYPD’s 19th Precinct officers intervened and stopped the shoplifters, Yusneiby Machado, 23, and Brayan Freites, 21, engaged in physical altercations. They wrestled, shoved, slapped, and pushed the officers in an attempt to resist.
One officer reported experiencing swelling, redness, and pain on his left arm as a result of the intense struggle.
After the incident, he was promptly transported to a nearby hospital for immediate medical attention. Fortunately, his injuries were not severe, and he was quickly treated and discharged.
According to sources, another suspect, who has yet to be apprehended, attempted to hurl rocks at the officers. Fortunately, they managed to evade the projectiles unscathed.
Machado and Freites faced multiple charges, including robbery, assault, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, criminal possession of stolen property, disorderly conduct, and harassment, according to the authorities.
They appeared before Judge Jay Wiener at Manhattan Criminal Court, where they were given preferential treatment.
Machado was released without bail under supervised release, despite prosecutors’ request to hold her on $10,000 bail.
Freites was requested by the prosecutors to be held on either $10,000 bail or a $30,000 bond. Wiener, on the other hand, ordered him to be held on $3,000 bail or a $9,000 bond.
As of Tuesday, he remained incarcerated at Rikers Island.
Sebastian Jaramillio, 22, Michael Sanchez, 31, and Henry Zambrano, 19, were also apprehended and accused by law enforcement officials of robbery and disorderly conduct.
End the protection of “sanctuary cities” for repeat offenders who are illegal migrants.
On Sunday, she faced charges of assault for an incident that took place on March 28. According to sources, during an argument on East 124th Street, she allegedly scratched a 34-year-old woman.
According to the sources, Freites faced multiple charges following his arrest at Target. These charges included a trespassing incident in January where he refused to leave a migrant shelter after being asked to leave.
According to sources, he is facing charges in another shoplifting incident that occurred on December 21, 2023. In this case, he is accused of stealing merchandise valued at $286 from a department store in Richmond Hill.
In October, Jaramillo faced assault charges after reportedly punching a 42-year-old man in the face at Grand Central Terminal, according to sources and records. He was arrested again the next month for petty theft, followed by a grand larceny charge on March 8th.
Sanchez, on the other hand, was arrested for petit larceny on two separate occasions, December 17 and December 28, 2023. In addition, he was charged with robbery in January and faced another petit larceny charge on March 18. Furthermore, he was arrested for robbery and domestic violence on March 21.
According to Target workers who spoke to The Post on Tuesday, their colleagues witnessed the group grabbing items and stuffing them into a bookbag. It was reported that the police were attempting to escort the suspected shoplifters out of the store when they were attacked.
According to an employee, there was a confrontation between one of the individuals and a police officer, involving shoving and back-and-forth exchanges.
Terrence, a street vendor who sells his goods outside the department store, has expressed his frustration with the presence of roving gangs of migrants. According to him, they have become a regular nuisance on the block.
“They walk together and engage in activities as a group,” he explained. “Their behavior resembles that of a gang, where they move together in a coordinated manner.”
In January, the city was shocked by a mob assault on two officers in Times Square. The recent Target attack on the cop only adds to the growing concern over the safety of law enforcement officers.
“These officers are committed to taking action and making arrests whenever they are faced with a crime.”
