A real danger to the community.
Timothy Bohler, 31, has had a turbulent relationship with the law since his teenage years. His lengthy criminal record includes a fatal incident involving a cancer survivor in Queens while he was out of prison, and a rape charge in the Bronx just six months after his release, according to a review of court documents.
With a shocking total of 45 arrests, 20 of which are sealed, Bohler has managed to navigate through the system, evading serious consequences for much of his life.
Bohler’s troubles began at 16, during which he faced a myriad of legal issues, including a recent charge for allegedly severing an MTA worker’s finger with a machete in a confrontation.
“The legal system seems ineffective for keeping individuals like this behind bars,” a law enforcement official commented recently, emphasizing the impact of bail reforms. “We’re releasing violent offenders without proper supervision or opportunities for rehabilitation. It’s simply giving them another chance to go astray.”
The reasons for Bohler’s prolonged freedom remain unclear, particularly since much of his background is sealed.
His latest charges stem from an incident on March 22, 2024, when he allegedly killed Lelawatti Narine, a pedestrian and cancer survivor, while already incarcerated for a machete attack.
The incident occurred less than two years following Bohler’s release from parole.
Details from court records reveal that his legal troubles beganwith a startling event at a Bronx liquor store on November 10, 2016. An argument with a clerk, who refused to give him credit for a beer, escalated dramatically. According to reports, Bohler tossed an iced tea bottle at the clerk, then angrily left the store only to return with a handgun. He pointed the gun at the clerk, taunting, “How do you feel now? I’m the man. Who’s the man now?” Although he pulled the trigger, the gun malfunctioned, leading to his arrest for attempted murder. Later, he pleaded guilty to lesser charges of assault and weapons possession and received a maximum sentence of six years.
Bohler was sent to Ulster Correctional Facility on April 16, 2018, but earned a conditional release on December 22, 2022. He had been out for over a year and a half when he violated his release terms, resulting in a short return to prison on June 25, 2024. He was back out after just a week, owing to the nature of his violation being linked merely to his release terms, not a fresh conviction.
Unbeknownst at the time, while on release, Bohler was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run that killed Narine—a connection only discovered recently.
In the following months, he continued to generate trouble. In July 2024, he faced assault charges due to a domestic violence incident. However, the charges were dropped, and he avoided prison time, which raised eyebrows among the law enforcement community.
Then, in October, Bohler was arrested again following an alleged incident in the Bronx, where, reportedly, he held a woman against her will and threatened her. This case remains sealed, making it unclear why he wasn’t sent back to prison at that point.
By January, he found himself in yet another legal bind, accused of using a machete during a dispute, which resulted in the amputation of four fingers from another man’s hand. The victim, Tyquon Young, was left severely traumatized. “He was a strong man, but he went too far,” said Young’s mother, highlighting the emotional toll of the attack on her son.
While still incarcerated for Young’s incident, Bohler was charged with Narine’s death. Prosecutors assert that he was driving a motorcycle and fled from the scene after striking Narine, who died less than three weeks later in the hospital.
Narine’s son, Darshan, expressed devastation over his mother’s fate. He shared that she had recently finished chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free before her tragic passing. “It’s just not right. He could have called for help… He just ran away,” he lamented, bewildered by Bohler’s extensive record. “I had no idea he had been arrested 45 times. How does he stay out of prison?”
Bohler’s attorneys for the current cases did not respond to requests for comment, leaving many questions about his ongoing freedom and the effectiveness of the justice system.
