Four migrants accused in beating NYPD officers may be on bus to California, police say

Four migrants accused of beating two NYPD officers last week in Times Square were believed to be on a bus to California after using fake names to trick a Brooklyn church into buying them tickets for the journey, police officials said Friday.

Investigators said the four are among a group of seven men from Venezuela who face various assault charges in attack last Saturday. It happened after a request by the two cops — a patrol officer and a lieutenant — that the group, described by police as “disorderly,” disperse from the front of 220 W. 42nd St. at about 8:30 p.m.

The four suspects were freed without bail after their arraignments earlier in the week on assault and other charges. The severity of the attack, which was caught on surveillance video, as well as the fact that no bail was set in the case, has set off a political furor in New York and elsewhere, with Gov. Kathy Hochul saying the defendants should be deported.

Police said they couldn’t reveal with certainty the name of the church involved in the bus ticket purchase.

Since the four suspects with bus tickets have yet to fail to appear in court for their next scheduled appearance, police said they were not considered fugitives. However, a failure to appear would cause a bench warrant to be issued for their arrest, police said.

The surveillance video of the attack showed that after the group of migrants dispersed, they suddenly reemerged into the video frame and grappled with the cops. The two officers were seen falling to the ground in the fight. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said earlier in the week that the group of suspects stole the radio and smartphone of one of the cops. 

NYPD officials said Friday that investigators were seeking six more possible suspects.

One suspect, identified in court papers as Volhenry Brito, 24, had bail set Thursday at $15,000 cash or $50,000 bond. Brito faces a charge of second-degree felony assault and obstructing governmental administration. Defense attorney Mark Jankowitz couldn't immediately be reached.

Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Hendry said that assault on the officers, and the resulting no-bail restrictions for some of the defendants, was an affront to the city and police.

“Our criminal justice system is upside down, it fails every day,” Hendry said Thursday. “These individuals should be in jail right now, they should have never [been freed] … they should be deported. But first the criminal justice system needs to send a message: They should be prosecuted, serve time here and then deported.”

The case is generating headlines as New York City officials continue to deal with an influx of thousands of migrants since 2022.

In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his office was trying to sort out the involvement of the suspects. Bragg didn’t directly address the bail issue of the four suspects with bus tickets.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.