A migrant teen arrested and released after the Times Square gang attack on New York Police Department (NYPD) officers was nabbed again by law enforcement in connection to a recent Macy’s robbery.
Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19, was arrested Wednesday morning on charges of robbery and petit larceny a day after he and three other suspects – who still remain at large – made off with about $608 worth of assorted clothing they stole from the Macy’s department store in the Queens Center Mall, the NYPD said.
The arrest was confirmed hours after NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, who oversees security operations, shared Gomez-Izquiel’s wanted poster on X.
“One of the migrants who assaulted our officers last week in Times Square is back at it again,” Daughtry wrote. “This time he was part of a group that robbed a department store in Queens. They also assaulted an employee. Different borough, different crime — same disregard for the law. This is the last thing NYers need.”
2 MIGRANTS WHO STOMPED AND KICKED NYPD OFFICERS IN VICIOUS TIMES SQUARE ATTACK YET TO BE ARRESTED
Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19, is seen in his initial booking photo after he was arrested and charged on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024 with assault on a police officer, gang assault, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct. (NYPD)
“Hey Darwin, we see you — and you will be in handcuffs once again very soon,” the commissioner warned.
Gomez-Izquiel and the three other suspects allegedly entered the Macy’s store on Queens Boulevard around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, concealed merchandise in a bag and tried to leave the location. Police said they were confronted by a 27-year-old security guard. The four then “struggled” with the guard, and one of them punched the man in the face.
The 27-year-old man suffered minor injuries and refused medical attention at the scene, police said. The individuals were last seen fleeing westbound on Queens Boulevard on foot.
The NYPD is asking for the public’s help in ascertaining the identity and whereabouts of the three others in connection to the robbery that happened in the confines of the 110 Precinct.
The first individual is described as a female approximately 5 feet. 6 inches tall with a light complexion and a medium build, police said. She was last seen wearing a black bubble jacket with a black hooded sweatshirt underneath, blue jeans and black sneakers. She was last seen carrying a dark-colored bag.
Three unidentified suspects are sought in connection to a Feb. 13 robbery at a Macy’s in Queens, New York. A fourth suspect involved has been arrested. He was connected to the January migrant gang assault on officers in Times Square. (NYPD Crime Stoppers)
Police described the second individual as a male approximately 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a medium complexion and a thin build. He was last seen wearing a multicolored baseball cap, blue jacket, gray jeans, and black and blue sneakers. He was last seen carrying a black bag.
The third individual is described as a male approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a medium complexion and a medium build. He was last seen wearing a black skull cap, black bubble jacket with a black hooded sweatshirt underneath, black jeans, and black and white sneakers, police said.
Police shared surveillance video of the trio recently spotted inside a subway station.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential, police said.
Gomez-Izquiel’s re-arrest came the same day another migrant, Yarwuin Madris, the seventh busted in the Jan. 27 attack on two NYPD officers, was expected in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Madris was arrested in the Bronx on Tuesday, the New York Post reported, citing law enforcement sources.
In the aftermath of the NYPD attack, Yohenry Brito, 19, was the only migrant held without bail. Gomez-Izquiel and four others – Yorman Reveron, 24; Jhoan Boada, 22; Wilson Juarez, 21; and Kelvin Servita Arocha, 19 – were charged with assault and released. Authorities believed at least some of those five arrested and released hitched a bus ride to California by giving fake names to a church-affiliated non-profit group. Boada notoriously flipped two middle fingers at reporters’ cameras on Feb. 1 after he was released from police custody.
After weeks of backlash, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced additional indictments against the six for their roles in the Jan. 27 attack.
Police body-camera footage made public on Thursday showed the chaotic moments leading up to the brawl between police and the migrants, who were seen kicking at officers and trying to stop them from arresting Brito. At a news conference Thursday, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said officers approached the group because they were blocking the sidewalk.
“Everybody disperses except Brito,” Kenny said. “He turned around and got confrontational with police officers.”
Jhoan Boada, charged with assaulting two NYPD officers in Times Square, flipped off reporters after he was released from police custody on Feb. 1, 2024. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post)
In addition to the seven people already indicted, police said they are looking for at least five additional suspects to speak with based on an investigation and review of body-camera footage.
“We have to ensure we identify and charge those individuals who actually committed criminal acts in this matter,” Bragg said. “The only thing worse than failing to bring perpetrators to justice would be to ensnare innocent people in the criminal justice system.”
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One person previously charged with assaulting police officers, Wilson Juarez, is now believed to have watched the brawl from a distance without participating. He has since been charged with tampering with physical evidence, prosecutors said, because he allegedly traded his jacket with a man who fled police following the confrontation. Another migrant reported to have participated in the beating, Arocha, did not physically touch either of the officers, but he allegedly kicked a police radio — making him an “accessory” to the assault, according to Bragg.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
