Two groups of migrants got into a violent altercation in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, where they were staying as asylum seekers. The fight escalated when NYPD officers arrived to intervene, resulting in the officers being battered and one of them being bitten by the migrants. The two officers sustained minor injuries and had to be taken to the hospital. Four migrants were arrested in connection with the incident, with three of them having prior arrests. The hotel is known for housing migrants seeking asylum and is located on 45th Street.
During the scuffle at the hotel, one of the officers was bitten on the arm and had bruises on his leg, while the other officer sustained injuries to his head, right elbow, and wrist. One of the assailants even tried to steal the officer’s hat as a trophy. Additionally, during the altercation, one of the officer’s cameras fell off and was stolen by someone involved in the fight. Both officers were taken to Mount Sinai West in stable condition for treatment. Two residents of the hotel, Lugo Kennedy-Jesus-Macarena and Nicol Cedeno, were charged with assaulting a police officer. Another resident, Alexander Ayala, faced charges of attempted robbery for trying to grab the officer’s hat. Milano Yhonneiber, also living at the hotel, was charged with robbery and obstruction of governmental administration.
This incident was not an isolated one, as there have been other violent encounters between migrants and NYPD officers in recent months. In a previous incident, a group of five Venezuelan migrants attacked officers after being caught stealing from a Target store, resulting in one officer being hospitalized. Despite being repeat offenders, four of the five individuals involved were released and are back on the streets. In another incident in January, a group of migrants attacked officers in Times Square, leading to charges being filed against seven individuals. Some of them have reportedly been offered plea deals.
Following the violent incident at the Roosevelt Hotel, plans are in place to replace the hotel with a new mega-tower once the migrants have been relocated, possibly by the end of the year. The current hotel, owned by the government of Pakistan, is overcrowded and in disrepair. The new structure is expected to be a multi-use building to serve various purposes beyond housing migrants seeking asylum. None of the suspects arrested in connection with the brawl were being held at Rikers Island, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not immediately provide information on their bond status. The ongoing violent encounters highlight the challenges faced by law enforcement in dealing with incidents involving migrants living in New York City as asylum seekers.
