An Ozone Park man is facing life in prison after he was indicted by a Queens grand jury on attempted murder, kidnapping and other charges for allegedly pointing loaded firearms at his wife and shooting several times at police officers who responded to their home on Sept. 14.
Marco Mosquera, 43, was arraigned Monday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Yavinsky on a 13-count indictment, including aggravated assault on a police officer and reckless endangerment, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
According to the charges, on the morning of Sept. 14, Mosquera confronted his wife, who was off-duty from the NYPD, when she entered their Ozone Park home at 129th Street and 133rd Avenue. Mosquera became increasingly agitated and broke picture frames and other household items around the residence, while Officer Mosquera tried to calm her husband down and clean up.
The defendant emerged from her bedroom and approached her from behind, allegedly pointing her two service weapons at her. Officer Mosquera told her husband that his actions would make the situation worse.
Mosquera then allegedly warned his wife not to contact law enforcement or the “things would end badly” and reportedly said “there was no way out for them” and that “they would be dying that day,” according to the charges. Officer Mosquera was able to access a telephone and made calls to a relative, then her supervisors and 911 for assistance.
Officers from the 106th Precinct and Emergency Service Units responded to the home and discovered the entrance was barricaded. The defendant allegedly fired multiple shots toward the responding officers that shattered the glass door panel. Another responding officer was able to contact Officer Mosquera inside the house by telephone and instructed her to get out of the house.
She made her way to a second-floor bedroom and jumped from its window. When Officer Mosquera landed on the concrete below, a fellow officer was able to protect her with a ballistic blanket and shielded them both from additional shots from Mosquera, according to the charges.
At that time, other Emergency Services officers returned fire at the defendant and struck him once in the forearm. As alleged, the defendant then retreated, walking backward into the house and continuing to fire toward the officers.
After Mosquera eventually surrendered, officers recovered firearms on the walkway beside the home and ammunition, including more than 20 rifle casings, nine .9mm casings inside and outside a bedroom window, and discovered bullet marks inside and nearby the home.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for multiple leg fractures. The defendant was also treated for gunshot wounds at a local hospital.
“This defendant, in this case, was filled with jealousy when he took his wife’s service weapons and threatened both their lives,” Katz said. “The responding officers swiftly took control of this crisis and averted a much greater tragedy that day.”
Justice Yavinsky ordered the defendant held without bail with a return date set for Nov. 10. Mosquera faces 75 years to life in prison if convicted.
