A Malba couple was injured when they were attacked by a crazed mob who took part in a 50-car “meet-up” drag-racing burning rubber and doing donuts on their street when a man tried to stop the mayhem early Sunday morning.
A private security guard working to protect the homes in one of the borough’s most affluent communities drove his company car into the gathering and tried to reason with the crowd. The perpetrators responded by setting the vehicle alight with fireworks, an NYPD spokesman said Monday.
Police from the 109th Precinct responded to multiple 911 calls of a motor vehicle on fire at 114th Street and 11th Avenue at around 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 23. The FDNY was already on the scene and extinguished the blaze in an unoccupied 2009 Ford Fusion sedan, which was severely damaged. A 50-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman were approached by a group of unidentified individuals when one of the strangers punched the woman in the face, while a number of other attackers forced the man to the ground, where he was punched and kicked multiple times throughout his body, police said.
The woman sustained pain to the left side of her face but refused medical attention at the scene, according to the NYPD. EMS transported the man to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. He sustained scratches to his neck, a laceration to his nose and right knee, and bruising to the back of his head, the NYPD spokesman said, adding that there have been no arrests and the investigation continues.
Council Member Vickie Paladino took to social media, blaming the riot on a large group of individuals from outside her district. She said the response time by the 109th Precinct was less than ideal taking nearly a half hour before officers arrived at the scene.
“These are organized gangs, who use social media to plan their criminal activity. It’s happening all over the city, and it’s completely out of control,” Paladino said Monday. “We’ve seen these meetups in the district on multiple occasions now, but we always seem to be playing catch-up. I’ve worked with the 109th precinct to deploy resources to problem areas, but they eventually just show up somewhere else. It won’t end until there are severe consequences associated with participating in these actions, and I mean real jail time and loss of property.”
The NYPD’s Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information (DCPI) put out a statement explaining that police were assigned to a 911 call for a possible crime of drag racing at 141st Street and 11th Avenue at 12:37 a.m., and a sergeant was responding to the job when officers had a car stop resulting in an arrest at another location. The sergeant rerouted to the arrest situation to assist the officers because a supervisor was needed for the arrest.
At approximately 12:50 a.m., the 911 call for drag racing was upgraded to a crime in progress — criminal mischief — which is a higher priority job. The 109th Precinct patrol supervisor then responded at approximately 12:53 a.m., and arrived at the scene at 1 a.m., a seven-minute response time.
“The 109 covers a large geographical area, and this was a busy Saturday night,” the DCPI statement said. “At the time of the incident in question, other units from the 109 were handling multiple priority jobs, including an arrest for an individual who was driving while intoxicated, transporting someone to the hospital, an assault, and a vehicle collision with injuries.”
Paladino met with Inspector Kevin Coleman, the commander of the 109th Precinct and Assistant Chief Brian Hennessy, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s Patrol Borough Queens North, at the scene later on Sunday morning and said they assured her that Malba would receive four dedicated patrol cars going forward as well as additional security upgrades, which she would not disclose. Paladino said the injured man had sustained a broken shoulder and nose and several fractured ribs during his assault.
“I’ve been having very frank conversations with NYPD leadership, including Commissioner Tisch, and they fully understand the problem and want to take appropriate action,” Paladino said. “The question is whether the political leadership of this city will allow us to do what needs to be done. I have faith in the police. I don’t have much faith in our incoming Mayor.”
“Our neighborhoods have been struggling for years now with crimes we’ve never seen in this area before,” Paladino said. “It all started with the bail reform laws in 2020, and it’s gotten worse every year since, as more and more criminals realize there are essentially zero consequences. Home invasions, carjackings, armed robberies — these are things we’ve never had to deal with but are happening almost every day now. And what happened in Malba on Sunday night is just another part of the same story.
Paladino followed that with an ominous message to future perpetrators in her district.
“When gangs of thugs start showing up in places like Malba and not only cause chaos in the street, but also openly attack a homeowner on his own property, you know things have really crossed a line,” Paladino said. “There’s zero fear of authority because they know our progressive system protects criminals and punishes innocent people who try to defend themselves. So, the criminals act accordingly. And it’s only going to get worse — someone will end up killed.”
She directed a social media message to her constituents.
“Once again I want to urge any residents of my district who are interested in obtaining their carry or premises permits to contact my office,” she wrote on X. “We are offering assistance with the application process and legal fees to all who wish to exercise their constitutional right to self-protection.”
