A baby-faced teenager allegedly involved in last month’s infamous Times Square assault on two cops was ordered held in jail indefinitely on Wednesday while another suspect was cuffed that morning.
Yarwuin Madris, who is listed as 17-years-old, was part of a seven-person indictment announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg last week, yet whose role remained under seal while police worked to find him.
Exactly one week later, police sources say, the NYPD Warrant Squad tracked the teen down at a hideout in the Bronx on Feb. 13, and took him into custody. He was charged with assault in the Midtown South Precinct at 6:41 p.m. that evening, authorities confirmed.
And then early Tuesday morning, 21-year-old Ulises Bohorquez, who stays at the Randall’s Island shelter, was picked up there by cops the following day and was also charged with assault on a police officer.
Madris appeared terrified as he was ushered into the courtroom Wednesday for his arraignment hearing, while flanking attorneys attempted to cover his face. According to statements made on the record, there were some discrepancies regarding his age because Madris has apparently provided officials conflicting birthdates.
Prosecutors allege that as the lieutenant and officer struggled to detain fellow defendant Yohenry Brito, outside of the Candler Building migrant shelter in Times Square on Jan. 27, Madris, was caught on video interfering with the arrest. Kicking and grabbing cops, Madris actions helped Brito to escape by kicking the lieutenant and even dragging the police officer in an attempt to remove him from the scuffle.
“With recent actions including grabbing one officer and advancing on another officer, and then Brito who at that time was wearing no jacket or shirt escaped the officers and fled,” Assistant DA Zachary Kotin accused.
Kotin noted that Madris allegedly with the other assailants struck and kicked the officers to the point where the lieutenant suffered a laceration to his nose, bruising to his face, bruising to his right bicep, while the cop suffered injuries to his shoulder.
After fleeing the scene, it is alleged, Madris realize that he was wanted by police when officers caught up with the group of men on 34th Street and 7th Avenue, where he once again evaded capture. To further avoid capture, authorities said, Madris is said to have changed his clothing.
Madris’ legal representative pushed back against what she called the “NYPD narrative,” stating that Madris saw Brito being grabbed and tried to intervene while also arguing that the young man was not trying to flee.
However, Judge Stephen M. Antignani, who presided over the hearing, sternly dismissed this argument after stating that Madris was found allegedly hiding out with two other co-defendants in the case, going as far as to call him a flight risk.
“It’s not even a situation where he surrenders his passport, he surrenders his ID — he has nothing to surrender,” Judge Antignani said. “He’s a flight risk, because the same way he came in the same way he can go out and accordingly I think that this time remand is proper.”
Madris was officially ordered held indefinitely in jail, while Bohorquez was expected to be arraigned later Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
