5 Suspects Accused In Times Square Cop Brawl Face Judge, Bail Set

NEW YORK CITY — All of the accused suspects who took part in a brawl against a pair of NYPD officers have now faced Manhattan judges and are in police custody, with five appearing on Friday alone, prosecutors said.

“The assault on our police officers in Times Square was despicable and we do not tolerate this type of attack," said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who indicted seven suspects last week in connection to the fight, though officials are still looking for four more unidentified individuals with possible involvement.

"The seven defendants indicted have now appeared in court, and because of our thorough investigation we can present our case and hold them fully accountable for their actions," Bragg said. "Our investigation into the incident with the NYPD remains ongoing and we are working with our law enforcement partners to apprehend the remaining individuals involved.”

The charges, unveiled last week, range from second-degree assault to tampering with physical evidence.

While bail was set for all five of the defendants on Friday, all of the defendants were given surety hearings as well which is a tool used by prosecutors to ensure that bail monies are not derived from illegal sources and that the money is from someone who has some sort of actual affiliation with the defendant.

Or, in the words of Judge Laura Ward, the surety hearing is to specifically “avoid bail being paid by a bail fund,” due to the lack of the defendants' community ties, according to prosecutors.

If there is no affiliation between the person posting bail and the defendant, prosecutors said, then there is less of a chance that the bail money would ensure the accused would return to court.

No offers are currently being made to any of the defendants.

The attack began on Jan. 27 about 8:35 p.m. as two cops tried to clear up a crowd outside 220 W. 42nd St., which is being used as a shelter for asylum seekers, Bragg said last week.

Some of the group immediately complied with the officers' request — but some didn't, officials said.

When one cop grabbed and wrestled with defendant Yohenry Brito, several other men attacked the police, Bragg said.

Brito, the man at the center of the video, prosecutors claim, was charged with two counts of assault and tampering with physical evidence. Prosecutors added that he has also been charged in four petit larceny cases since last July and had bench warrants out for him at the time of his arrest. He faces a total of 11 years in prison if convicted. A chu

Wearing a black and red jacket in the video, Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, who was also arrested days later after shoplifting at a Macy's in Queens, was charged with two counts of assault after prosecutors say he grabbed one officer and kicked another during the fight. He faces a seven year sentence if convicted.

Yorman Reveron, who prosecutors said is the man in white pants and a white jacket in the video, is accused of grabbing and pulling an officer off of Brito, then throwing him to the ground. He was also charged with two assault counts and faces seven years, and is also a defendant in two robbery cases, where he is accused of stealing pants from a Nordstrom Rack and a coat and suitcase from Macy's.

Two other men who didn't actually make contact with the officers — Kelvin Servita Arocha, who is accused of striking one officer's radio and Wilson Juarez, who is accused of swapping Brito's yellow jacket as he fled with his own — are currently being detained by immigration authorities after they were found hiding out in the Bronx with another defendant who was arraigned separately on Thursday. Prosecutors asked the judge to hold them both on remand so they could be placed in Department of Corrections custody.

Yarwuin Madris, the third man arrested Tuesday in the Bronx apartment he shared with Arocha and Juarez, prosecutors said, is accused of grabbing one officer and advancing on another.
Prosecutors argued in court Wednesday that Madris should be held without bail, as he is also being held by ICE.

Another suspect was also arraigned on Thursday — Ulises Bohorquez, who stands accused of kicking one officer's foot and grabbing the leg of an officer. He is charges with second degree assault and obstruction. Bohorquez's bail was also set with a surety hearing.