Man accused of fatally running down LI father of 4 on Christmas Day 2019 brought back from Guyana

When they learned the man accused of fatally running down Ainsley Dalrymple in a hit-and-run on Christmas Day 2019 was finally apprehended by authorities overseas, his surviving relatives said they have mixed emotions.

"A day has not gone by where we have not thought about losing him so horribly," Ionie Dalrymple said of her brother in a phone interview Friday afternoon. She added that she is happy the man authorities accused of killing him "is finally caught" and that "justice will be served hopefully."

On Friday, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ravindra Dharamjit, 26, of South Ozone Park, was indicted on manslaughter, reckless driving and other charges in the death of Dalrymple, 67, of Hempstead, on Dec. 25, 2019.

At about 9:28 p.m., after eating Christmas dinner with his family, Dalrymple was attempting to cross Rockaway Boulevard between 113th Street and 114th Street in Queens, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office.

"The defendant is accused of driving 74 mph — nearly three times the legal speed limit — when he struck and killed Ainsley Dalrymple," Katz said in the release. "Rather than stop the vehicle and render aid, the defendant allegedly continued speeding through a busy intersection."

Katz added that Dharamjit then allegedly fled the country on Jan. 9, 2020, boarding a flight with a one-way ticket from Kennedy Airport to Guyana.

"This coward decided to run and hide instead of facing justice," Ionie Dalrymple said.

Ainsley Dalrymple, then a recently retired Ryder mechanic who his sister described as a father of four children and "the best grandfather," was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, according to the release.

Ionie Dalrymple remembers her older brother as "an angel," especially when it came to caring for their elderly mother, who recently turned 99.

"She cries every day, missing her son," said Ionie Dalrymple, 70, of Huntsville, Alabama. "She has his photographs all over her room that she looks at every day."

According to the release, Katz’s Extraditions Unit office "worked closely with the U.S. Marshals to locate Dharamjit in Guyana and return him to New York."

Dharamjit pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday.  Acting Supreme Court Justice Danielle Hartman remanded Dharamjit without bail and ordered him to return to court Aug. 27.

Basil Dalrymple, Ainsley's youngest brother, said he felt "sort of relieved" learning the news of Dharamjit’s arrest. He said he was in the courtroom on Friday for the proceeding and plans to attend future court dates.

"It’s like opening a wound," Basil Dalrymple said. "But we have to go through this process to get justice for my brother."

Dharamjit faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, according to the district attorney.

His attorney could not be reached.

While she was not in court Friday, Ionie Dalrymple said that she plans to travel to see Dharamjit’s future court proceedings.

"I would not miss this for the world," she said. "We’ve waited long enough."