NEW YORK, NY – One of the illegal migrants involved in the violent attack on two New York Police Department officers in Times Square last month has been indicted by a grand jury.
Yohenry Brito, 24, was indicted in connection to the Jan. 27 caught-on-video attack on an NYPD lieutenant and officer. The incident occurred just steps from the New Amsterdam theater — a popular destination among tourists.
The grand jury charges remained under seal as of Tuesday, a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told the New York Post.
The indictment of Brito came after he had been led into New York Criminal Court in shackles to answer two misdemeanor charges related to shoplifting, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Brito is the only suspect to have been arrested and held on bail in connection to the assault in Times Square and is also the only suspect to have been indicted so far. In total, seven migrants were arrested in relation to the incident, with several others understood to have left New York after being released.
A video of the incident and one of the immigrants giving the middle finger after being released sparked widespread condemnation.
Brito has distinctive tattoos on his neck, which prosecutors had focused on last week when they asked a judge to hold Brito on bail. His attorney, Mark Jankowitz, told The Post that Brito denies the misdemeanor charges.
Brito has been held on Rikers Island since his arrest and is scheduled to appear in court to answer the misdemeanor charges on April 3. He is also scheduled to appear in New York Supreme Court on March 25 to be arraigned on the charges in his sealed indictment.
The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (PBA) President Patrick Hendry said the indictment was “just one small step towards justice for our injured brothers.”
The grand jury indictment came just a day after several of the illegal immigrants suspected of beating New York City police officers were arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, by ICE and Homeland Security Investigations at a Greyhound bus station.