A midday taxi run from Far Rockaway to Wyandanch turned into a nightmare ride, prosecutors say, ending with a knife, a struggle over the steering wheel and just $60 stolen before the suspects bolted on foot. Two 20-year-old Wyandanch men are now facing serious time, with both looking at up to 25 years in prison on the top charge if convicted.
Suffolk County prosecutors identified the defendants as James Davender and Antoine Sims, both 20, and say a grand jury indicted them on second-degree kidnapping and first- and second-degree robbery, according to LongIsland.com. Davender was arraigned May 13 before Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro and was ordered held on $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond. He is due back in court June 17. Sims was arraigned May 29 before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard Horowitz and was ordered held on $50,000 cash, $150,000 bond or $350,000 partially secured bond, with his next court date set for June 10.
What prosecutors say
According to prosecutors, the pair hailed a cab out of Far Rockaway at about 1 p.m. on April 22 and quickly turned the ride chaotic. They allegedly grabbed the steering wheel several times and yanked the gear shift into park in an effort to stop the car. Investigators say one of the men then pulled a folding knife and threatened the driver while the other reached into the driver's front pocket and took about $60, before both suspects ran off on foot. Those details were reported by Patch.
Prosecution and penalties
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, which says Assistant District Attorneys Marissa Edelstein and Kieran R. Rogers are handling the case, released the indictment and case information in a statement, according to LongIsland.com. Davender is represented by John Halverson and Sims is represented by Richard Kaufman. Both men face as much as 25 years in prison if convicted on the top kidnapping charge.
Next steps in court
The defendants remain in custody under their current bail conditions and are scheduled to return to Suffolk County court in June. The defense attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment, as noted by Patch.
