May 8, 2026

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The 18-year-old who allegedly killed Jaden Pierre in Roy Wilkins Park last month has been indicted on murder, gang assault and weapon possession charges.

A second teenager, 16, was apprehended this week and indicted for allegedly beating Jaden moments before the senseless shooting. This defendant was charged with attempted gang assault and assault.

The 15-year-old victim was part of a large group of teenagers who gathered at the St. Albans park on April 16 for a water gun fight that was advertised on social media.

The events in a residential park that day grabbed the attention of New York City. As alleged, Jaden was ganged up on by multiple teenagers who repeatedly punched, kicked and berated him while others watched and took videos.

He was then allegedly shot by the 18-year-old defendant. A bullet pierced the youngster's upper chest, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital but could not be saved.

No parent should ever have to bury their 15-year-old child. We are continuing to actively investigate this case and search for the other aggressors.

My top priority will always be keeping you and your loved ones safe.

In Friendship,

Melinda Katz

Queens District Attorney

Cases of Interest

• A Jackson Heights man was sentenced to up to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to strangulation, stalking, burglary and other crimes for attacking his former girlfriend in 2025, and then soliciting an undercover police officer to do further harm to the woman.
• A 30-year-old Jamaica resident was sentenced to 17 years to life in prison for the 2022 drive-by shooting death of a man who was killed while seated inside his vehicle near his South Ozone Park home. The defendant was found guilty at trial of murder and criminal possession of a weapon. A co-defendant was previously sentenced to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
• A delivery driver has been charged after he allegedly rammed his cargo van into a carload of women near Forest Park on April 26, struck a second vehicle and assaulted four men, two of whom he tried to rob. The defendant was charged with attempted robbery, assault, reckless endangerment and other crimes.
• A former New York City Correction Officer has been charged with grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing for allegedly submitting false documentation in order to justify his paid sick leave.

Information Wanted

If you have any information about the death of Dawn Higgins, who was found strangled to death in a wooded area off the Clearview Expressway and Union Turnpike 33 years ago, please contact NYPD Crimestoppers by calling 800-577-TIPS, or through the online form.

It is never too late for justice.

Antisemitism Rally

I joined my fellow elected officials, faith leaders and outraged community members to denounce recent acts of antisemitism in Forest Hills and Rego Park.

Anti-Jewish crimes continue to account for more than half of all reported hate crimes citywide. My office has made fighting hate crimes a priority, because hate will never have a home in Queens County.

Jamaica Rotary Club Dinner

It was a pleasure to attend the recent meeting of the Jamaica Rotary Club for its "Cop of the Month" ceremony. The group honored exemplary police officers with the 102^nd, 103^rd, 105^th, 106^th and113^th Police Precincts.

These officers are the backbone of our neighborhoods and I deeply value their commitment and dedication to serving the public. During the meeting, I shared my office's pledge to continue to prosecute those who create havoc and mayhem in our borough.

Combatting Human Trafficking

Our Human Trafficking Bureau Chief, Jessica Melton, visited with young people at the Denim Day Resource Fair in Arverne recently to talk about the dangers of sex trafficking. The event focused on knowing what exactly sex trafficking is, how to recognize someone who may be a victim and prevention measures.

Bayside Hills Civic Association Visit

During a meeting of the Bayside Hills Civic Association, I talked to residents about our efforts to thwart residential burglaries in the area in partnership with the NYPD. We are working aggressively to stop thieves from violating the sanctity of residents' homes and vehicles.

The NYPD's Queens North Burglary Task Force was formed last November in response to these crimes. My office has also dedicated resources and directed veteran prosecutors to investigate pattern burglaries and prosecute the accused.

I am happy to report that burglaries are down citywide 24.7 percent and in Queens North the decrease is 47 percent. We are doing all we can and will continue to listen to residents' concerns with neighborhood visits.

LiveOnNY Blood Drive

LiveOnNY is a nonprofit group dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation. I enjoyed speaking with participants at the organization's annual blood drive at the Tangram Mall in Flushing and I commend everyone with LiveOnNY for their work educating the public on the need for more donors. 

My Community Partnerships team set up a table at the event with information on available resources. I also shared news from our office with attendees.

QDA Mobile Office is Coming to Broad Channel and South Ozone Park

Meeting Queens residents where they live and gather, the DA’s Mobile Office provides a perfect opportunity to get the answers you need.

Members of the DA's office meet with the public at area libraries, answer questions and provide information on available resources. The next stop for the Mobile Office is the Broad Channel Library on May 21 and the South Ozone Park branch on May 28.

No-Questions-Asked Gun BuyBack Event

Gun buybacks are an incredibly effective way to get firearms off our streets.

Our next gun buyback event will take place on Saturday, May 16th, at Southern Baptist Church. Surrender an operable firearm, receive a bank card with a cash value. No questions asked.