By Jeremy Walsh
Three Ridgewood residents were arrested last week after a 5−year−old girl was wounded in what police believe may have been a gang−related shooting.
At 9:19 p.m. Oct. 20, Maria Delgado was walking with her daughter, Jakelyne Delgado, 5, in front of 17−12 Himrod St. when they got caught in the crossfire between two groups of young men, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Police believe the confrontation was a fight between rival gangs operating in the area.
Jakelyne was shot once in the back, puncturing her left lung, the DA said. She was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center where she was listed in stable condition last week. An unidentified 27−year−old man was shot in the leg and taken to the hospital, also in stable condition, police said.
Police arrested Thomas Hirro, 19; Wilson Santana, 16; and Antonio Rosario, 16, all of 17−12 Himrod St., Oct. 21.
Hirro and Santana were arraigned the next day on charges of assault, weapons possession and reckless endangerment, the DA said. Their bail was set at $250,000 each. If convicted, the pair face up to 25 years in prison, the DA’s office said. Their next court date is Nov. 5.
“Fortunately, the 5−year−old victim will recover from her wounds,” Brown said in a statement. “This case is another example of why it is that illegal handguns must be removed from our streets.”
Wilson told police that a person named “Ice” and a group of others shot at him in front of the residence, according to a criminal complained filed by the DA’s office. Hirro went inside the house and handed him a gun, which he used to fire six shots into Ice’s door before hiding the guns under a rock in the yard, the complaint said.
Police recovered a .32−caliber live round, a spent .22−caliber shell casing and two other spent shell casings from the street in front of the house, court papers show.
Police executing a search warrant recovered a black .38−caliber revolver loaded with one live round in the chamber, a silver .32−caliber pistol, 10 live .38−caliber rounds and seven live .33−caliber rounds from a black bag located in the backyard of the residence, the complaint said.
Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e−mail at jwalsh@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 154.
