An alleged hit-and-run driver from Long Island is being held without bail for intentionally driving into four people, including a 16-year-old girl and her mother, killing the youngster, after he sexually propositioned the teen and her mom minutes earlier on Roosevelt Avenue in Elmhurst early Saturday morning, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Edwin Cruz Gomez, 38, of Nostrand Avenue in Uniondale, was arraigned Sunday night in Queens Criminal Court on a felony complaint charging him with murder, attempted murder, assault, vehicular homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol and other crimes.
“As alleged, this defendant subjected 16-year-old Jhoanny Alvarez and her 32-year-old mother to crude sexual solicitations and harassment,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
According to the charges and investigation, on Sept. 13, at approximately 4:10 a.m., Cruz Gomez was with several other men in front of the Prima Donna Restaurant on Roosevelt Avenue between Elmhurst Avenue and Benham Street. The men encountered the girl from Manhattan and her mother, stepfather, and boyfriend. Gomez began harassing the victim and her mom, offering them both money for sexual acts. A verbal dispute ensued and then escalated into a physical altercation between the victim’s stepfather and Gomez as bystanders tried to intervene and separate the two men.
Following the confrontation, all parties separated. The victim, her mother, stepfather, and boyfriend walked away from the restaurant to the opposite side of Roosevelt Avenue, crossing Benham Street, and stood a distance away. Gomez got into his gray 2009 Chevy Suburban, which was double-parked on Roosevelt Avenue, and started to drive, making a right turn onto Benham Street, and then drove up onto the sidewalk directly in line with the foursome, without braking or attempting to avoid them, and allegedly struck Alvarez, her mother, and stepfather. Gomez then proceeded in reverse on Benham Street against the posted direction until he struck an unoccupied van. At that point, Gomez abandoned his SUV and fled the scene on foot.
Emergency responders determined Alvarez was deceased due to her injuries. Her mother was transported to Elmhurst Hospital for treatment of injuries to her leg sustained during the collision.
The defendant approached uniformed NYPD officers a few blocks away and reported that he had been assaulted. He led officers back to the collision location. His blood alcohol content measured .137 percent, which was above the legal threshold of .08 percent.
“After the child’s stepfather and boyfriend confronted Edwin Cruz Gomez and then crossed to the other side of the street, the intoxicated defendant drove his SUV onto the sidewalk and took aim at the group of four,” Katz said. “The defendants pinned the teen against a pole with his vehicle and injured her mother and stepfather as he barreled his 3-ton vehicle into them.”
Queens Criminal Court Judge Lana Schlesinger remanded Gomez into custody without bail. If convicted, he faces in excess of 25 years to life in prison.
“This defendant is now charged with murder and related crimes and we will seek justice for Alvarez and her family,” Katz said.
