Ozone Park resident Jamia Dean, and a 16-year-old juvenile, have been charged with attempted murder for a knife attack on two teenagers that stunned the John Adams High School community on March 15, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday.
Dean, 20, who lived on Rockaway Boulevard just two blocks from the school, was arraigned Monday night before Queens Criminal Court Judge Jessica Earle-Gargan on a 12-count complaint charging her with two counts of attempted murder, nine counts of assault and one count of criminal possession of a weapon.
According to the charges, at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, Dean and the juvenile allegedly approached two teens in front of the Ozone Park school. The juvenile said, “What’s up?” to the 16-year-old victim then punched him multiple times in the face while Dean pulled the victim’s hair. Dean continued to pull the hair of the first victim as the juvenile pulled out a knife and stabbed the boy, causing deep lacerations to his back and leg.
The second teenager, a 17-year-old, attempted to intervene in the attack by jumping on the juvenile. Dean then pulled the second victim’s hair as the juvenile punched and stabbed him.
The two victims were able to escape the attack and race into John Adams High School where they sought help.
EMS responded to the scene and transported the 17-year-old to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was in critical but stable condition. The 16-year-old victim was rushed to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.
According to the charges, the 16-year-old suffered a stab wound to his back and a large laceration to the left leg. He required a chest tube, sustained injury to his right lung and was admitted to the hospital for three days. The 17-year-old sustained seven laceration wounds to his torso, back, arm and hip including a six-inch deep wound that injured his spleen. He underwent two surgeries to his spleen and elbow and was admitted to the hospital for five days after life-threatening blood loss.
Following the attack, video surveillance showed Dean and the juvenile headed west on Rockaway Boulevard. Additional video captured the two assailants at 102nd Street removing clothing and discarding items into a trash receptacle.
Police from the 106th Precinct in Ozone Park received the black jacket that was tossed into the receptacle by the juvenile. It had blood on it, according to the criminal complaint.
“This defendant and a juvenile allegedly committed a violent attack, which is particularly brazen, in front of one of our high schools,” Katz said. The two teenaged victims that were stabbed were gravely wounded. We will not tolerate this kind of violence and the defendants will be held accountable for their alleged actions.”
Judge Earle-Gargan ordered the defendant to return to court on March 25. If convicted, Dean faces up to 25 years in prison.
