10 FEBRUARY 10, 2022 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
POLICE BEAT
112TH PRECINCT
(FOREST HILLS AND REGO PARK)
Homeless man indicted in two
elevator attacks inside Forest Hills
apartment buildings: DA
A knife-wielding homeless man was indicted by a Queens grand jury for
attacking two women inside elevators in separate incidents in Forest Hills last
month.
Ralph Toro, 62, was arraigned Thursday, Jan. 27, before Queens Supreme
Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant on a six-count indictment charging him with
attempted robbery, sexual abuse, criminal possession and menacing, according
to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
According to charges, Toro, a Level 3 registered sex off ender living in a shelter
at the Holiday Inn Express near Flushing Meadows Corona Park, allegedly stood
inside of an elevator on the morning of Dec. 17 with a 28-year-old woman in an
apartment building on 75th Street.
When the doors opened, Toro began to exit the elevator, then suddenly turned
around and allegedly pulled out a knife while demanding money from the woman,
according to the DA. He reached into her jacket pockets. The victim shoved the
defendant away from her and fl ed.
Katz said that around noon on the same day, Toro followed a 51-year-old woman
into an elevator inside of an apartment building on 108th Street. Toro allegedly
pulled out a knife, demanded that the victim give him money and blocked her
from exiting the elevator.
As Toro continued to demand money from the woman, she informed him that
she had no cash and emptied the contents of her pocketbook onto the fl oor of the
elevator, according to the charges. The defendant, while still holding the knife,
allegedly put his hand down the victim’s pants and sexually assaulted her. The
victim tried to fi ght him off and the defendant then fl ed the location.
Katz said the second incident was captured on video surveillance. Detectives
from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills were able to locate additional surveillance
video from various sources and traced Toro’s movements to the Corona shelter,
located at 113-10 Horace Harding Expy., less than one mile from the second incident.
Toro was taken into custody by detectives aft er employees at the shelter
identifi ed him from still photos taken from the surveillance video, according to
the DA.
“The defendant is accused of committing two separate, terrifying elevator
The 104th Precinct released
the following list of persons
arrested in recent police actions.
The charges are accusations,
and all individuals listed
in this blotter are presumed
innocent until proven
guilty.
For questions about the names
listed in the blotter, contact the
104th Precinct at 718-386-3004.
Jan. 31: (Ridgewood) Handerson
Diaz, at Grove Street and
Fairview Avenue, for possession
of burglar tools, by PO Jimenez.
(Maspeth) Ashley R Townsend, at
60th Street, for criminal mischief,
by PO Lopez.
Feb. 1: (Ridgewood) Leszek
Kulesza, at Fresh Pond Road and
Metropolitan Avenue, for driving
while intoxicated, by PO Novello.
(Ridgewood) Abner J Larios, at
Fresh Pond Road and Metropolitan
Avenue, for aggravated unlicensed
operation of a motor vehicle, by
PO Dowal. (Ridgewood) Beata
Durkalec, at Myrtle Avenue, for
criminal mischief, by Det. Wright.
(Middle Village) Sean Scarabino,
at 80th Street, for assault, by PO
Pellot.
Feb. 2: (Ridgewood) Alex
Tipantaxi-Pilapanta, at Seneca
Avenue, for strangulation, by Det.
Lodato. (Ridgewood) Vanessa
Diaz, at Harman Street, for aggravated
contempt, by Det. Scrimenti.
(Ridgewood) David Sanchez, at
Grandview Avenue, for assault,
by PO Lyle.
Feb. 3: (Ridgewood) Michael
Whitefi eld, at Gates Avenue, for
petit larceny, by PO Batista. (Ridgewood)
Walter Lee, at Myrtle Avenue,
for trademark counterfeiting,
by PO Nisbett.
Feb. 4: (Ridgewood) Anthony
Tarantola, at Greene Avenue, for
driving while intoxicated, by
PO Petito. (Ridgewood) Christopher
Barbara, at Myrtle Avenue,
for robbery, by PO McMahon.
attacks — approximately an hour apart, on the same day — inside diff erent Forest
Hills apartment buildings,” Katz said. “As alleged, the defendant waited for the
women to be alone and in a confi ned space to pull out a knife and attack them.”
Justice Pandit-Usher ordered Toro to return to court on March 3. If convicted,
he faces up to 16 years to life in prison.
(Glendale) Rony Velasquez, at
64th Place and 80th Avenue, for
unauthorized use of vehicle, by PO
Bawa. (Ridgewood) David Estrada
Quevedo, at 68th Avenue and Forest
Avenue, for strangulation, by
PO Arfeen. (Ridgewood) Eswin
Ramirez, at Madison Street, for
assault by PO Whyte. (Ridgewood)
Jennifer Ferrer, at 68th Road and
Forest Avenue, for assault, by
PO Arfeen. (Ridgewood) Nestor
Armando, at Madison Street, for
assault, by PO Whyte.
Feb. 5: (Glendale) Gerald Delgado,
at Cooper Avenue, for assault,
by PO Armond. (Ridgewood) Daniel
Campos Torres, at Covert Street
and Wyckoff Avenue, for driving
while intoxicated, by PO Novello.
(Glendale) Joseph Pulido, at 81st
Road and Woodhaven Boulevard,
for driving while intoxicated, by
PO Gluck. (Middle Village) Onofrio
Vecchio, at 74th Street, for assault,
by PO Zuzzolo. (Maspeth) Gloria
Seanz, at 69h Place, for assault, by
PO Shariff . (Ridgewood) Elias Rosario,
at Harmon Street, for assault,
by PO Torres. (Glendale) Jonathan
Valentin, at 79th Avenue and Saint
Felix Avenue, for possession of
burglar tools, by PO Mattheos.
(Glendale) Carlos Saniago, at 79th
Avenue and Saint Felix Avenue, for
possession of burglar tools, by PO
Mattheos.
Feb. 6: (Glendale) Michael Maisonet,
at 67th Place, for burglary,
by PO Mark. (Ridgewood) Victor
Rodriguez, at 61st Street and
Myrtle Avenue, for aggravated
unlicensed operation of a motor
vehicle, by PO Chowdhury. (Maspeth)
Sebastian Angel Garcia, at
Jay Avenue, for strangulation, by
PO Baltusis. (Glendale) Charles
Nicolas, at Clover Place and Cypress
Avenue, for aggravated
unlicensed operation of a motor
vehicle, by PO Teti. (Glendale)
Manuel Naula, at Cooper Avenue,
for criminal contempt, by PO
Lopez.
104 PRECINCT BLOTTER
/WWW.QNS.COM
