Honoring late Purple Heart recipient
West Bronx street co-named for Army staff sergeant Santiago Frias
President George W. Bush presentsPurple Heart to SSG Frias in 2004.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Defense
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BRONX TIMES REPORTER,20 SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2020 BTR
Cabrera with the Frias family. Photos by Alex Mitchell
BY JASON COHEN
District Attorney Darcel Clark announced
on Sept. 1 that her offi ce will fi le
a motion to dismiss more than 300 summonses
for violating curfew during the
June 4 protests for the killing of George
Floyd.
“I believe in and encourage our Bronx
residents to raise their voices to protest
social and racial in justice in a peaceful
way,” Clark said. “I said back in June that
I would not prosecute protestors simply for
violating the curfew. While my offi ce does
not prosecute summonses, I will fi le a motion
with the court to dismiss theses summonses,
which were issued June 4 in the
Mott Haven section, in the interest of justice.”
According to Clark’s offi ce, those who
received summonses for their participation
in the June protests will be due back in
court on Oct. 2, 2020.
District Attorney Darcel Clark announced on
Sept. 1 that her offi ce will fi le a motion to
dismiss more than 300 summonses for violating
curfew during the June 4 protests for
the killing of George Floyd.
Courtesy of the Facebook of DA Clark
“As the COVID-19 virus is still very
much with us, and the courts are trying
to limit in-person appearances, I believe it
serves no purpose to summon hundreds of
people to the courthouse for low-level violations.
These unprecedented times require
prosecutors to be fl exible as well as compassionate,”
Clark said.
Clark added that her offi ce is moving
forward with prosecutions of those charged
with serious offenses such as burglary, looting
and assault related to protesting, particularly
in the June 1 incidents in Fordham.
The motion will be fi led on Thursday,
Sept. 3.
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The corner of West 183rd
Street and Grand Avenue is
now co-named for a heroic,
Purple Heart recipient and
Army staff sergeant who
showed devotion to America
in both his military and
civilian life.
He was the late Santiago
Frias, who was born and
raised at nearby 60 W. 183rd
street where he was an active
and joyful community member
before enlisting in the
Army, his family said during
the unveiling on the morning
of Aug. 28.
Frias was ambushed during
what was called a peacekeeping
mission in Kirkuk,
Iraq in 2004, where he was
credited with saving the lives
of two fellow soldiers after
still returning fi re after being
shot multiple times by
enemy insurgency.
He survived the ambush
and was awarded the Purple
Heart by President George
W. Bush while recovering at
Walter Reed Army Medical
Center by the nation’s capital
that same year.
In civilian life following
his Army tenure, Frias
taught martial arts to youth
near West Point in Newburgh
before his passing in 2019.
He was 46-years-old.
“I’m honored to co-name
this intersection, in the community
SSG Frias loved,
in remembrance of a true
Bronx hero,” said Councilman
Fernando Cabrera, who
was instrumental in having
the street in his district
named for Frias. “The new
street sign serves as a permanent,
public celebration of
his sacrifi ces.”
Clark to dismiss summonses
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