Three individuals remain locked up on assault and robbery charges for allegedly attacking a 21-year-old man with a machete during a New Year’s Day mugging at a Ridgewood street corner, prosecutors said.
Hamler DeJesus, 19, of Ridgewood and William Gonzalez, 22, of Ozone Park, along with an unidentified 14-year-old male juvenile offender, were arrested shortly after the bloody mugging, which occurred at 3:18 a.m. on Jan. 1 at the corner of St. Nicholas Avenue and Palmetto Street.
According to information that the Queens District Attorney’s office provided, the three suspects and four unidentified perpetrators approached the victim at the scene, then punched him about the body and knocked him to the ground.
One of the defendants then pulled out a machete and slashed the victim numerous times, police said, cutting the victim’s face, right shoulder, back and chest. During the assault, authorities noted, the perpetrators removed the victim’s right earring, two gold chains from his neck and $200 in cash from his pants pockets.
Officers from the 104th Precinct came upon the mugging in progress and apprehended DeJesus, Gonzalez and the juvenile offender, sources familiar with the investigation stated. They were each subsequently charged on first-degree counts of gang assault, assault and robbery, as well as second-degree robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.
All three suspects were arraigned on New Year’s Day before Judge Gia Morris; Gonzalez was ordered held on $25,000 bail, while DeJesus and the juvenile offender were each ordered held on $10,000 bail. They are scheduled to return to court on Jan. 13.
Others involved in the mugging remain at large, and the investigation is ongoing, prosecutors said.
