A 35-year-old parolee is back in cuffs after police say he slashed two people in back-to-back attacks inside and outside a crowded Astoria fish market on Monday afternoon, leaving a 29-year-old woman with facial wounds and a second victim rattled but not physically hurt. Officers arrested the suspect a short time later near his apartment, and the woman was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where she was listed in stable condition. The violence has merchants and neighbors on the Broadway strip shaken and angry.
As reported by the New York Post, police identified the suspect as 35-year-old Antonio Quinones and said he first went after 29-year-old Samantha Robles inside Broadway Fish Market on Broadway near 48th Street at about 4:20 p.m. Moments later, they allege, he confronted a 54-year-old man outside the store. Workers described a chaotic scene as officers sprinted after Quinones and nabbed him a short distance from the shop. According to authorities, the second victim’s jacket was sliced but his skin was not cut. Investigators say Quinones has been charged with assault with intent to cause injury and is awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court.
Prosecutors Sought Supervised Release, Judge Followed The Law
A spokesperson for the Queens District Attorney’s Office told the New York Post that in a recent arraignment in a separate case, prosecutors sought the most restrictive option they could under state law: supervised release. The earlier charges were not legally eligible for bail, the spokesperson said, explaining, “We asked for supervised release, which was the most that was allowed.”
New York’s Criminal Procedure Law spells out when courts may set monetary bail and when judges must release defendants on their own recognizance or under non-monetary conditions, including a list of qualifying charges where bail is still permitted. The full breakdown of those rules is available via the New York State Senate.
Past Arrests And What Police Say Now
Media reports indicate Quinones has a lengthy history with law enforcement, with local coverage putting his arrest total at about 26. He was also reportedly linked to a 2022 slashing incident on the same Broadway block. Authorities say he was arrested again on February 24 in an unrelated case that resulted in misdemeanor charges. Under current pretrial rules, he was released under supervision following that arraignment.
With the latest alleged attacks at the fish market, prosecutors have now filed new assault charges against Quinones and are moving the case through Queens Criminal Court. How that plays out is likely to be watched very closely by locals who say they have seen him in the area for years.
Neighbors Demand Answers
Merchants and residents along the block told reporters they had spotted Quinones around the strip before and are furious that he was back on the street after his recent arrests. “The guy is always fighting with everyone,” a worker at the market told the New York Post. Relatives of the wounded woman described frantic, chaotic moments after the attack that left the family shaken.
Police say the investigation remains active and are asking anyone with video or information to contact detectives. As the case moves forward in court, the incident is already fueling a fresh neighborhood debate over parole supervision and how New York City’s pretrial release rules are playing out on streets like Broadway in Astoria.
