Also Booked For Attacking Gal Pal
A 33-year-old Flushing man has been booked on attempted murder and other charges for allegedly shooting a childhood friend multiple times on a Whitestone jetty and assaulting his live-in girlfriend, who had an order of protection against him, in two recent, separate incidents.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown identified the defendant as Robert Sasso, 33, of 41st Avenue in Flushing, who was charged in two criminal complaints with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and, in the second complaint, with first-degree criminal contempt, third-degree assault and second-degree harassment.
If convicted, Sasso faces up to 25 years in prison on the first complaint and four years in prison on the second complaint.
According to the charges in the first complaint, Sasso met up with his 39-year-old friend to smoke marijuana; he drove with his friend to Summit Place and Malba Drive in Whitestone at approximately 2 a.m. on Aug. 29.
It is alleged that Sasso and his friend walked down to the water, smoked marijuana, had a conversation and that, without warning, Sasso fired a .45-caliber firearm multiple times at his friend, striking him in the abdomen, left leg and left arm.
The victim was taken to a local Queens hospital and was listed in critical condition.
Two days earlier, on Aug. 27, Sasso was sitting in a vehicle with his 33-year-old live-in girlfriend in front of an Astoria Boulevard at between the hours of 3 and 4 a.m., when Sasso punched her in the face and pushed her from the vehicle, causing bruising to her face. She was taken to a local Queens hospital and treated for her injuries.
According to the charges, a oneyear order of protection was issued to Sasso’s girlfriend on July 30 in Queens Criminal Court, which stated, among other things, that Sasso was to refrain from assaulting, stalking, harassment, menacing or any other criminal offenses against her.
It was noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
