A Queens grand jury has indicted a Manhattan man accused of stabbing a fellow bus passenger in the eye and neck with a pen during a violent altercation in Jamaica last month.
Angie Cordero Rosario, 29, of Second Avenue, was arraigned Tuesday in Queens Supreme Court on a five-count indictment charging him with attempted murder, assault and related offenses in connection with the May attack.
According to the charges, Cordero Rosario and the victim were passengers on a Q9 MTA bus as it headed southwest on Liberty Avenue just before 5 p.m. on Friday, May 23.
Cordero Rosario stood in front of the victim, a 59-year-old Queens man and Army veteran who was seated. Cordero Rosario began acting erratically and intentionally stepped on the foot of a woman as she stood to exit the bus as it stopped. The Army vet asked Cordero Rosario why he stepped on the woman’s foot, and then the defendant allegedly took a pen from his pocket and shoved it into the man’s neck, knocking him backwards. Cordero Rosario allegedly continued the attack by plunging the pen into the man’s eye while saying, “I’ll kill you.”
Cordero Rosario ran off the bus and was chased by two other passengers who flagged down a nearby police officer from the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, who arrested Cordero Rosario.
EMS rushed the victim to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where it was discovered that he had a small, metal object lodged behind his right eye. The victim is continuing to receive treatment to determine if surgery is necessary, and he may lose sight in his right eye.
“Public transportation must be safe in New York City to thrive, and when it is not, those who endanger the safety of New Yorkers must be held accountable,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “As alleged, this defendant acted erratically on a New York City bus and aggressively stomped on the foot of a female passenger. When a second passenger stood up to the defendant, he turned a pen into a weapon and repeatedly stabbed the 59-year-old man in the eye and neck.”
Cordero Rosario was arraigned before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Gaffey, who set bail at $75k cash, $200k bond, and ordered the defendant to return to court on July 24. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
