A Corona teenager has been indicted on robbery and assault charges after robbing five people at knifepoint in Queens, prosecutors announced Monday.
Alfonso Martinez, 17, was charged on Wednesday, Nov. 21, with first- and second-degree assault, first- and second-degree robbery, first-degree attempted robbery, fourth-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
If convicted, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said, Martinez faces between five and 25 years in prison on each count.
According to the charges, Martinez allegedly began a series of robberies at 10 p.m. on Oct. 24. At that time, Martinez walked up behind a woman on 94th Street and held a knife to her throat. Martinez then allegedly told the woman in Spanish to hand over her cellphone and purse, and threatened to cut her if she didn’t comply.
Law enforcement agents said the victim handed over her purse, which had $600 inside, and her iPhone, and Martinez fled the scene.
At 11:30 that same night, according to prosecutors, Martinez allegedly approached another woman who was walking on 104th Street from behind and placed his hand over her mouth. He then allegedly proceeded to reach into the victim’s pocket for her cellphone and stabbed her in the upper arm and lower wrist as he fled the scene.
Minutes later at 11:40 p.m., Martinez allegedly approached a woman from behind and placed a knife to her throat. In Spanish, Martinez told her to give him her bag and then allegedly pulled the bag from her shoulder and slashed her forearm with the blade.
Charges say that on Oct. 28, Martinez allegedly approached a man, who had just exited an Uber, from behind, held a knife to his throat and told him in Spanish to hand over his money and cellphone. A struggle ensued, and Martinez stabbed the victim twice in the neck before fleeing.
Finally, on Oct. 30 Martinez allegedly attacked a woman just after midnight on Alstyne Avenue. The victim was hit on the back of the head with an unknown object and knocked to the ground. She was then hit repeatedly in the face with a blunt instrument leaving her with cuts to her nose, lip and around her left eye.
The victim also suffered a broken tooth and a bruised shoulder. Martinez allegedly got away with her duffle bag which contained cash and credit cards.
Martinez was arrested on Nov. 21, at which time he allegedly had a razor blade in his left pants pocket.
“The defendant in this case is accused of going on a knifepoint robbery spree in October,” said Brown in a Nov. 26 statement. “The young defendant’s violence escalated with each robbery — from stabbing and slashing to pummeling a woman in the face to the point that her front tooth was broken. This kind of violence and outright thievery will not be tolerated. The defendant is in custody and now faces a long term of incarceration for these alleged acts.”
