NEW YORK CITY – Several migrants arrested in last week’s attack on NYPD officers in New York City, and released without bail, were reportedly caught Monday in Phoenix, Arizona.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with the Department of Homeland Security, arrested the migrants at a Greyhound bus station. The migrants are believed to have fled the Big Apple after they were arrested and released without bail following the Jan. 27 assault on two police officers in Times Square. It’s not clear which migrants or how many were taken into custody. ICE is expected to release more details later Tuesday.
Authorities believe four migrants left New York by bus for California. It’s not clear if some or all of them were the ones taken into custody in Phoenix. Meanwhile, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg presented evidence to a grand jury in Lower Manhattan. Bragg has faced intense criticism for not requesting bail for most of the suspects involved in the assault.
According to police, as many as 14 people could’ve been involved in the attack. The lone suspect currently being held on Rikers Island on bail, Yohenry Brito, is expected back in criminal court Tuesday afternoon.
Surveillance video showed five men and two police officers calmly interacting on camera. It appeared to be an ordinary exchange until the pair of officers attempted to take down one of the men in yellow. According to police, that’s when the encounter turned violent, starting with a kick to an officer’s head. Police said it only escalated from that point on where, moments later, the men swarmed around the officers already on the ground, striking them both multiple times. The officers suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.