A disturbing scene unfolded on a Glendale street, leading to a man being charged with several counts of assault after an encounter with a young child and an off-duty police sergeant. 31-year-old Feliz Enrique, a Glendale resident, faced arraignment yesterday on indictment charges, including first, second and third-degree assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and harassment, as reported by the Queens District Attorney.
The incident took place on May 10, when Enrique allegedly struck a 9-year-old girl in the face, which resulted in her falling to the ground. The Queens District Attorney's office said Enrique engaged the child in innocent conversation before the assault. Subsequently, an off-duty police sergeant named Sebastian Hajder, who was struck by the defendant during apprehension with his hand, had the top segment of his right index finger bitten off by Enrique.
The attempted detaining of Enrique led to a struggle where he also bit the sergeant on the knee. Both the girl and Sergeant Hajder required medical attention, with the former sustaining bruises and loose teeth, and the latter suffering from bite marks and abrasions. The District Attorney's Office highlighted the severity of the engagement, stating that the bites inflicted by Enrique were severe enough that the officer's fingertip could not be reattached.
At the arraignment, presided over by Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino, the defendant was remanded with orders to return to court on July 10. Faced with the serious nature of the crimes, District Attorney Melinda Katz expressed her gratitude to Sergeant Hajder and the bystanders who intervened, emphasizing the quick actions that were taken, "before cops arrived." If convicted, Enrique could be looking at up to 25 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Erin Mullins of the District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau, operating under a team of supervising attorneys.
