For years now, residents of Malba and the surrounding neighborhoods have been plagued by persistent disruptions caused by illegal street racers tearing through their streets in the early hours of the morning. But everything came to a head the Sunday night just before Thanksgiving, and everyone from locals to elected officials have spoken out against the threat these illegal activities pose to their communities.
On Nov. 23, a group of around 50 individuals tore through the neighborhood of Malba in the early hours of the morning: making donuts through the residential streets, burning a car and even assaulting two home owners, both aged 50. This incident comes with a history of complaints made by community members on the influx of street racing groups, comprised mostly out of younger individuals, who congregate in North East Flushing due to the abundance of wider roads and open parking lots. On Dec. 4, officers of the 109th Precinct arrested Justin Aguilera, a 19 year old from Far Rockaway, for the crime and faces up to 25 years in prison if found guilty, and the Malba community approved that something had been done to curb the dangerous drivers’ activities.
“I don’t know what’s going through the mind of certain young people, but without consequences, you’ll have more bad behavior,” said a former police officer and community member referred to as Weiner. “I would hate to see anybody throw their life away, but the fact of the matter is this was elevated to a situation where somebody could have lost their life.”
The car meet ups have become a common occurrence in the residential neighborhoods that begin innocently enough with some minor traffic blockages and general noise complaints. Typically, the groups meet within parking garages, but often block off entire sections of roads and parking lots. Jennifer Shannon, the president of Better College Point Civic Association, said that the groups began appearing in her neighborhood during the COVID-19 pandemic. First doing donuts in the Target parking lot, then Home Depot and another incident where the drag racers complexly blocked off Linden Place. After each instance, NYC DOT would either block off the lots with gates or install speed bumps in on the roads. Shannon stated that one member of the community accidently drove onto the street the group was racing down, but the individuals present actually halted their speeding and guided him through the area without incident.
“They’re all over Queens… it’s an ongoing issue,” Shannon said. “I talk to other civic presidents and we see the posts on their pages, so it’s definitely an ongoing issue throughout Queens, and more than likely the entire city.”
Since the preventative measures were placed, College Point has remained “pretty quiet” as of late. However, the groups simply moved to a less speed bump-heavy area: Malba and Whitestone. And on Nov. 23 one group escalated their gathering into something resembling an angry mob, which resulted in one local’s car being ignited with fireworks and the assault of Malba couple Blake and Melissa Ferrer. The assault, which left Blake Ferrer with a broken shoulder and fractured ribs, allegedly began when he confronted the 10 individuals on his lawn with a baseball bat and escalated further when one of the assailants threatened to shoot him. However, Weiner stated Blake Ferrer isn’t known to the community as a “hothead” and acted out of best interest for his family’s and the community’s safety.
“Unless you or I are in that situation at that time, we can’t say whether or not he made the proper decision or not,” Weiner said. “But he had to feel that his home and his family were being threatened, and a homeowner shouldn’t have to worry about being threatened in their home or on their property.”
“The violent riot that erupted in Malba on the night of Nov. 23 was abhorrent and left a local resident physically harmed,” said Assemblymember Sam Berger. “This is completely unacceptable. While the 109th Precinct is doing everything it can within its capacity, being responsible for the largest population in all five boroughs stretches resources beyond their limits.”
Community members criticized the 109th Precinct for its 45-minute response time to make it to the scene. Locals reported that the fire department made it to the scene before police officers. Despite many 911 calls from Malba locals, the incident was first reported as a 311 noise complaint and officers were not alerted to the severity of the situation, which included the burning car, other property damage to front lawns and later the assault.
“The law is effective, the law is just not being enforced. There were multiple laws broken, from reckless driving to disturbing the peace and the link. NYPD was not anywhere in sight. They decided… why even bother,” wrote one user on the Queens subreddit.
Due to the recent backlash, the 109th Precinct halted one such meet up before it ever began. On Nov. 30, officers broke up the congregation of around 70 vehicles at a parking garage on 138th Street, ultimately seizing nine cars, arresting three attendees for suspended licenses and issuing court summons due to both over-tinted windows and missing plates. But none of those either arrested or present at this particular meet up could be linked the violent occurrence last month.
Council Member Vickie Paladino stated she received verbal confirmation from the Queens Borough Commissioner of NYC DOT that speed pumps will be installed as a preventative measure on both 11th Avenue and 141st Street in Malba, the corner of which the assault on the Ferrers allegedly took place, though NYC DOT has yet to confirm it. While many residents are happy that the proactive infrastructure will be built, others are disappointed that seemingly every street or parking lot must blocked or bumped to stop the illegal activity.
“Take their vehicle away and fine the crap out of them, repeated offenses get arrests with harsher penalties. Why the **** do we have to drive every block with a speed bump because we don’t lock up degenerates?” said another user on reddit.
As a former officer, Weiner made note that the 109th Precinct is doing its best with its current resources that are dedicated mostly to Flushing, and that the city currently has a deficit of about 8,000 police officers, down from the around 40,000 the NYPD employed in the early 2000s. Since October of 2024, around 3,500 police officers have retired or quit, according to the NYPD. Directly after the attack, the 109th Precinct assigned four more patrol cars to Malba going forward.
“When we tell city government that the 109th is overextended, it is not an exaggeration; it is a call for help. With massive development underway at Willets Point, the NYC FC Stadium, and now the New York Mets Metropolitan Park project, this incident underscores the need for Whitestone, College Point and Malba to have their own dedicated police precinct, a need the community has been pleading for years. When events like this happen, statistics mean nothing. Residents are left feeling unsafe and no community should have to endure that,” Berger said.
