Sep. 21, 2023 By Bill Parry
A Richmond Hill man was found guilty of attempted murder and other crimes for picking up a 6-year-old boy and slamming him head-first into the pavement in front of a Kew Gardens home in 2019.
Laurence Gendreau, 39, whose last known address was on 110th Street, was convicted by a jury on Sept. 20 in Queens Supreme Court of attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, grand larceny in the fourth degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree.
According to the charges and trial testimony, on the afternoon of Oct. 10, 2019, the 6-year-old boy was standing outside his grandparents’ Kew Gardens home along with his older brother waiting for a pizza delivery. Gendreau, who was walking by, suddenly charged at the child, yelling at him. He lifted the boy over his head and slammed him down head-first onto the pavement.
As the child was motionless on the ground, Gendreau fled, the charges state. The boy’s brother ran inside and alerted his family. His grandfather chased after Gendreau and flagged down a police officer from the 102nd Precinct in Richmond Hill. Gendreau was stopped near Lefferts Boulevard and Metropolitan Avenue, and taken into custody.
EMS responded to the scene and transported the boy to an area hospital, where he was treated for a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain and a collapsed lung. He has since recovered.
Earlier that same day, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Union Turnpike in Kew Gardens, Gendreau approached an 83-year-old woman who was on a bench, sat down next to her and proceeded to snatch an iPad from her hands, according to the charges. The stolen iPad was recovered from Gendreau at the time of his arrest following the attack on the youngster.
“This senseless and brutal attack left a young boy seriously injured and a community shocked,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “We all deserve to feel safe in our homes and while walking the streets of our neighborhoods. The criminal justice system worked and we were able to take a dangerous man off the street.”
Queens Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis set sentencing for Oct. 12. Gendreau faces up to 25 years in prison.