It took New York City police nearly half an hour to respond to a chaotic car gathering in Queens, during which a couple was assaulted by a group of thugs. Authorities attributed the delay to being occupied with other emergency calls.
On Monday, a spokesperson for the NYPD stated that such delays would not be repeated.
After this incident early Sunday morning—where dozens of individuals descended upon 141st Street and South Drive, engaging in what can only be described as a street “hijacking,” setting a parked vehicle on fire, and injuring a neighbor—police announced heightened patrols in the Marva area to prevent future occurrences.
A representative from the 109th Precinct explained that the incidents were widespread during a busy Saturday night, with officers dealing with various emergencies, including drunk driving arrests and injuries from collisions.
The chaos started around 12:30 a.m. when a group of reckless drivers arrived uninvited, revving their engines and driving over lawns.
When local resident Blake Feller confronted them, saying, “Get that off my property,” he was brutally attacked, and the assault was recorded on video.
Authorities reported that the crowd assaulted Feller’s wife, set their car ablaze, and fled the scene.
City Councilwoman Vicki Palladino expressed her outrage over the unruly gathering and the assaults that took place.
The first 911 call about the drag racing came in at 12:37 a.m., but officers were responding to higher-priority incidents.
By 12:50 a.m., the situation was reclassified as mischief, but by that time, the individuals involved had already left, and police were dispatched to the area.
Local resident Tanya Pilic remarked that these kinds of events are not uncommon, noting signs of recent chaos like burned tires. She expressed frustration over a neighbor being advised to call 311 instead of 911 for help, questioning the state of safety in the neighborhood.
Larry Rush, head of a local security firm, described the scene as “insane,” attributing the group of troublemakers to the Bronx.
Councilwoman Palladino was appalled by the lawlessness and conveyed that what happened was beyond disgraceful. However, top police officials met with her and other residents over the weekend, promising enhanced patrols to ensure a similar situation doesn’t occur again.
