Queens, NY- Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday that a 16-year-old is facing charges of first-degree assault and first-degree robbery. The charges stem from an incident where he allegedly attacked a 68-year-old woman outside a Briarwood church on Sunday, April 7.
District Attorney Katz described the assault as a despicable act and noted additional charges related to the theft of another woman’s car. The defendant, residing on 89th Avenue in Jamaica, was arraigned with a 12-count indictment, with a potential prison sentence of up to 25 years upon conviction.
Justice Bruna DiBiase presided over the arraignment and scheduled a return court date for May 15. The charges detailed the events of the assault on the victim and the subsequent theft of her belongings and vehicle. The defendant was also implicated in a separate robbery incident earlier in Rochdale Village.
Irene Tahliambouris, 68, was walking into the Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church at 84-35 152nd on April 7 when the assault took place. Tahliambouris was hospitalized with serious injuries following the attack, including a fractured skull and brain bleeding. The defendant allegedly stole her purse, car keys, and drove away in her Nissan Altima.
On April 4, the accused was involved in another robbery, this time stealing a car from a 50-year-old woman in Rochdale Village. After using what appeared to be a weapon, the defendant took the victim’s car keys and drove off in her Toyota Corolla.
Assistant District Attorney George Kanellopoulos is handling the prosecution, alongside Assistant District Attorney Laura A. Godfrey, Assistant District Attorneys Eric Rosenbaum, Debra Lynn Pomodore, and Brian Hughes, working under Executive Assistant District Attorney Joyce A. Smith.