QUEENS, NY — A Queens man was sentenced to 34 years in prison on Thursday for firing at police officers during a standoff at his South Ozone Park residence in September 2021. The confrontation began with an altercation between Marco Mosquera, 46, and his then-wife, an off-duty NYPD officer, and escalated into a violent standoff involving firearms.
Mosquera was convicted in December 2024 on multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, and criminal possession of weapons. Prosecutors detailed how Mosquera held his wife against her will, used her service firearms to threaten her, and shot at responding officers.
District Attorney Melinda Katz said the defendant’s actions endangered both his wife and law enforcement personnel. “It is due to the victim’s bravery and the professionalism of the NYPD that tragedy was averted,” she said in a statement.
According to court testimony, Mosquera barricaded himself in the home and fired multiple shots, one of which shattered a glass door panel and struck an officer’s boot. His wife, who was held at gunpoint, escaped by jumping out of a second-story window, fracturing her knee in the process. Officers covered her with a ballistic blanket as the defendant continued firing at them.
Mosquera eventually surrendered after being injured during the exchange of gunfire and was taken into custody. Justice Michal Yavinsky imposed the sentence, citing the severity of Mosquera’s actions