WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JULY 9, 2020 3
Man who went on deadly driving spree
in Middle Village charged with murder
BY JACOB KAYE
JKAYE@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
A 37-year-old who went on a
deadly driving spree in an allegedly
stolen box truck earlier
this week has been charged with several
crimes including second degree
murder, District Attorney Melinda
Katz announced on July 2.
In addition to the murder charge,
Ramon Pena, of Albany Crescent in
the Bronx, is also facing charges
of second degree manslaughter,
assault in the first degree, felony
assault in the second degree, third
degree grand larceny, leaving the
scene without reporting death and
a handful of traffic violations. Pena
is being held without bail and will
return to court on July 10.
If convicted, Pena faces up to 25
years to life in prison.
“This is a tragic incident that was
caused by the alleged criminal
actions of this defendant, who is
accused of stealing a truck and
causing extensive property damage
to dozens of cars,” Katz said. “This
depraved driving spree only came to
an end after a horrible collision that
killed a young man in his 20s. The
defendant is in custody and faces
very serious charges.”
Pena is accused of stealing a box
truck that was parked with its keys
in the ignition on 101st Avenue in
Jamaica around noon on June 20,
the DA said. After allegedly stealing
the vehicle, Pena drove eastbound
on 101st Avenue, hitting at least 20
parked and moving cars as he made
his way along Humboldt and Metropolitan
Avenues, according to Katz.
Pena’s damaging driving spree
came to a fatal end, when he collided
with the driver of a Honda CRV at
the intersection of Rentar Plaza and
Metropolitan Avenue.
The driver of the Honda, Hamlet
Cruz-Gomez, 25, was taken to
Elmhurst hospital, where he went
into cardiac arrest and died, according
to the DA.
Pena hopped out of the truck
after the crash and ducked into the
Metropolitan Avenue subway station,
where he was later arrested by
NYPD officers.
Katz alleges that during his trip,
Pena drove around 50 miles per
hour, blew through multiple red
lights and drove on the wrong side
of the street.
He allegedly does not have a
valid drivers license nor does he
have a driving history within the
state of New York, according to the
authorities.
Photo via Getty Images
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