sil Assaidi was seen smiling and talking to friends across the street as he was escorted out of the 104th Precinct. He was later released following his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court.
Photo by Dean Moses
A Bronx man was back on the streets Friday following his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on charges that are not bail-eligible under New York state law.
Asil Assaidi, 22, of Morris Park, was arraigned on a six-count criminal complaint charging him with reckless endangerment in the first degree, riot in the second degree, unlawful assembly, reckless driving, operating or driving a motor vehicle without a license and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.
According to the complaint, on April 18, at approximately 1:45 a.m., Assaidi was behind the wheel of a blue Infiniti G37 with a dark hood and a missing front bumper at the intersection of 69th Street and Eliot Avenue where he took part in a street takeover with a large crowd between a BP gas station and a Mobil gas station. Assaidi drove the car in multiple circles around the intersection, nearly colliding with several people standing nearby. Skid marks formed on the road surface and smoke and sparks were produced from the rear of the vehicle. An individual poured liquid onto the pavement and ignited a ring of fire between the defendant’s car and the assembled crowd. Assaidi repeated the reckless driving with a second driver in a silver vehicle that included a second ring of flames in front of the crowd. By approximately 1:50 a.m., NYPD officers from the 104th Precinct in Ridgewood arrived in marked patrol cars in response to multiple 911 calls as Assaidi and the second car continued to drive in circles. Officers began dispersing the crowd of at lead a hundred people and 50 vehicles. At that time, an individual used a traffic barrier to block one of the patrol vehicles while two other individuals jumped onto the hood and cracked the windshield. The trio then fled with the departing crowd and vehicles leaving the area. Law enforcement officials later identified Assaidi as the driver of the blue Infiniti G37 via surveillance video on the incident.
Assaidi allegedly drove one of the 50 to 100 vehicles that were involved in the takeover at the intersection on Eliot Avenue and 69th Street in Middle Village during the early morning on Saturday, April 18. Photo by Dean Moses
“As alleged, this defendant put countless people in peril as he recklessly drove on a fiery street near pedestrians and gas stations,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “This careless stunt very easily could have ended in injuries and death. We are determined to find and prosecute the people who organized and participated in this dangerous and illegal car meetup. The investigation into this case is ongoing and I thank our partners at the NYPD for their assistance in this case.”
Assaidi pleaded not guilty at his arraignment before Queens Criminal Court Judge Indira Khan, who released him without bail and ordered him to return to court on May 14. If convicted of the top charge, Assaidi faces up to seven years in prison.
Council Member Phil Wong slammed the bail reform of 2019 that allowed the Bronx man to be released with non-monetary conditions.
“What we saw in Middle Village was dangerous and could have ended in tragedy,” Wong said. “A judge reviewed the case and made it clear that the defendant poses a serious threat to public safety, yet was unable to keep him behind bars because her hands were tied. That should alarm every New Yorker.”
Council Member Phil Wong met with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch at One Police Plaza on April 21 and then briefed the media. Courtesy of CM Wong’s office
Judge Khan said the defendant poses a significant danger to society and she was appalled by the alleged nature of the case and potential for greater harm.
“These menaces do not belong on our streets. When individuals engage in reckless and chaotic behavior that puts lives at risk, there must be real consequences. Instead, we are seeing the continued impact of laws that prioritize offenders over public safety,” Wong said in his Friday statement. “This is not working. It is a failed social experiment that is putting our communities in danger. Albany must fix these laws and restore common sense to our criminal justice system. Public safety must come first.”
Wong met with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on April 21 at One Police Plaza and was assured that an influx of officers would be assigned to his district. On Monday, Wong noted that over the weekend, the NYPD reported 20 vehicles seized, eight individuals arrested and 101 summonses issued during a citywide crackdown over the weekend.
“Within the 110th Precinct, officers took swift action at 127th Street and Willets Point Boulevard, confiscating four vehicles with massive speaker systems and seizing an additional 12 cars for further investigation,” Wong said. “These so-called car meet-ups are anything but harmless. They bring chaos to our streets, disrupt entire neighborhoods, and pose real public safety risks. The NYPD has made clear this behavior will not be tolerated, and I fully support that approach.”
Wong commended the 110th Precinct for confiscating four vehicles equipped with massive speakers and seizing an additional 12 cars for further investigation on Sunday night at 127th Street and Willets Point Boulevard. Photo courtesy of the NYPD
He added that the NYPD is still looking for at least seven other suspects in the Eliot Avenue street takeover.
“Anyone accountable must be held accountable. That means losing driving privileges, losing their vehicles, and losing the equipment used to disrupt our communities. If you choose to take part in this kind of reckless behavior, there should be real consequences,” Wong said. “This is the kind of enforcement our communities have been asking for, and it must continue consistently to send a clear message: if you bring this into our neighborhoods, there will be consequences.”