By Madina Toure
State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing) said he has introduced legislation that would require anyone hosting minors to register with the state of New York following the arrest of two suspects in the brutal slashing of a 16-year-old Chinese female exchange student in Whitestone.
Oakland Gardens resident Wilson Lai, 25, and Devon Berkley, 36, of Allentown, Pa. were charged in a 19-count indictment with assault, conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a weapon, according to District Attorney Richard Brown.
Lai is also charged with rape, criminal sexual act, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, and harassment in connection with an alleged sexual relationship he had with a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly the target of the slashing conspiracy, Brown said.
If convicted, Berkley faces up to 25 years in prison and Lai faces up to 32 years in prison, Brown continued.
In an alleged case of mistaken identity, Berkley is accused of running up to JiaJia Liang, who happened to be the same age and living with the same host family as the intended victim, as she walked to school and slashing her twice in the face before fleeing, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. The incident took place in Whitestone Dec. 16.
As a result of the attack, Liang now has two scars that run up the left side of her face, the DA said.
Lai had a one-year sexual relationship with the intended victim starting in June 2013 when she was 14 years old and conspired with Berkley in December 2015 to assault the girl, according to Brown.
Kim said his legislation would require entities such as not-for-profits, businesses or families hosting minors or tutoring or teaching children to register with the state.
“A part of the long-term legislation and solution that we’re looking to advance is to have better oversight of these host families,” he said.
The assemblyman said JiaJia has left the host family in Whitestone for new housing, is back at school and her mother has returned to China.
Although the family is aware that the suspects have been arrested, JiaJia does not want to speak out at the moment without her mother at her side.
“She also wants her privacy,” he said. “She’s a teenager and she feels uncomfortable issuing anything without her mother being present.”
He also said a special fund he helped set up with the law firm of Gary Park to cover expenses such as traveling costs and surgery has raised at least $10,000.
A police spokesman and Kim confirmed that the intended target, Lai’s ex-girlfriend, and Liang were living at the same residence but are not related.
Lai was led out of the precinct during a perp walk a little before 2 p.m. May 26.
At a news conference at the precinct’s headquarters in downtown Flushing, Lt. Timothy Thompson of the 109th Precinct said the two men were arrested within 30 minutes of each other.
“It happened to go down that way,” Thompson said. “We were trying to make it happen that way.”
Deputy Inspector Judith Harrison, the precinct’s new commanding officer, praised the work done to catch the suspects.
“It was an extensive investigation, it was a lot of leg work that went into bringing these people to justice and they stayed the course with it,” Harrison said.
Lai and two unindicted co-conspirators allegedly worked together to damage a vehicle Jan. 4 belonging to the intended target’s family by puncturing the tires and causing body damage to the vehicle, the DA said.
During the incident, a note was allegedly left on the vehicle saying the wrong girl was attacked and the intended target was next, Brown said.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
