By Ivan Pereira
A St. Albans man turned the tables on a criminal who was trying to steal his car by killing him Saturday night, police said.
Around 10 p.m., Yaosse Agbokou, 50, was attempting to break into a 2005 Nissan Altima that was parked in front of a house on 188th Street and Mangin Avenue, authorities said.
The 28-year-old owner of the sedan caught the man during the theft and fought him off while he waited for officers to respond to the scene, but Agbokou became unconscious and disorientated when he was being placed under arrest, according to police. The Queens district attorney’s office identified the car’s owner as Daillard Paris, a former Marine.
Agbokou, who lived two blocks away on Ilion Avenue, was put in a choke hold by Paris, according to the city’s medical examiner, and was rushed to Queens Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
A spokeswoman for the ME said Agbokou was killed by a compression of the neck and none of the injuries he sustained were caused by police. The office ruled the death a homicide.
Paris had not been charged by police as of press time Tuesday, but the investigation into the death was ongoing, the DA’s office said.
No one answered the door to his home and could not be reached for comment. Neighbors described Paris as a big man who kept to himself.
Those who live on the block, filled with one-family houses, said it is a quiet area and not prone to crime.
Alvin Rose, who has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years, said he did not feel sorry for Agbokou.
“For every sin there is a punishment. Before you do something, you have to think of the punishment,” he said.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
