A Bronx judge ordered a violent robber accused of robbing a 7-year-old boy and slapping his mother to “now go to Rikers Island” after releasing the mother on supervised release, according to court records. “We're this close,” he warned.
Monique Fort, 48, appeared before Judge Margaret W. Martin on Oct. 17. It's been about three weeks since police say she took about $3 from a child's hands and ran into the mother inside Richard's Fruit and Vegetables on Jerome Avenue in Mount Eden on Sept. 1. It was later. twenty four.
Martin granted Fort (who police say has been arrested 14 times before) supervised release, but issued a stern warning.
“MS. Fort, I'll tell you right now, it may not seem like it, but you've come this close to get to Rikers Island now,” the judge chastised her.
“If you mess this up in any way, I'm going to remand you. That means you could be the richest person on the planet, and you can't bail out until these charges are resolved.” “Sho,” she added.
“I'm not kidding. Once you get out of here, you're going to think you're in court. If you don't show up and get arrested again on new charges, you're going to go to jail.”
The judge asked Fort three times if he understood, to which the robbery suspect replied, “Yes.”
The judge also issued an order of protection to keep Fort away from the injured mother and her rattled son.
Surveillance video of the shocking bodega robbery showed Fort sticking his head in the door of the small market and calling out to a boy with a small bill in his hand.
She snatched the money and tried to leave, but the video showed her lunging at the boy's 38-year-old mother, who was pushing another young child in a stroller and tried to stop her.
The bully robber then punched the mother in the face and left.
new york city police
Assistant District Attorney Gary McKenna said the boy was “crying, visibly upset, and apologizing to his mother for attacking him” during the attack.
According to the criminal complaint against Fort, he is charged with both felony and misdemeanor assault, as well as felony robbery, grand larceny, petty larceny, possession of stolen property, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment. It was done.
At the beginning of his arraignment, Martin initially contested the grievous assault charge, arguing that “the facts do not allege the elemental grievous bodily injury.”
“And there is no allegation that the injuries that occurred here were caused by the use of dangerous equipment,” Martin said.
“All I really see is minor children being upset,” argued Eric Scott, an attorney with the Fort Legal Aid Society.
But McKenna argued that the serial offender should be released on $20,000 cash bail, $60,000 insurance bond or partial surety bond, citing his arrest history and alleged failure to appear in court.
McKenna said Fort “has three warrants out of New York County for very old cases,” and “the assault case is currently pending in Bronx court, with an arraignment in late September.” said.
Police announced this week that her previous arrests include robbery, reckless endangerment, prostitution and loitering.
As the arraignment drew to a close, Martin advised Fort, “Don't screw this up.” “You are now going to have a supervised release interview, and no one is going to make this difficult for you.
“This is to make sure you understand what it means to be back in court, not to be rearrested, and to comply with the terms of your protective order.”
