Police bust two Jackson Heights housemates for allegedly beating and robbing a woman in East Elmhurst in August as she was walking with her husband. Photo courtesy of the NYPD
By Bill Parry
Two Jackson Heights men were taken into custody Thursday morning and charged with assault, among other crimes, for allegedly attacking a 54-year-old woman in front of her husband in East Elmhurst nearly two months ago. Dario Acosta, 52, and Luis Pablo, 33, who live in a house on 87th Street just north of Roosevelt Avenue, were booked at the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights on grand larceny, robbery and assault charges stemming from the early morning beatdown on Northern Boulevard near 84th Street.
Police from the 115th Precinct reported that the 54-year-old woman became engaged in a dispute with Pablo and Acosta just before 4:30 a.m. The argument quickly escalated into violence as the two men began to punch and kick her multiple times, causing her to lose consciousness. The perpetrators then forcibly removed the victim’s purse, containing $350 in cash, police said. The assailants ran off southbound on 84th Street towards 34th Avenue.
The victim sought medical attention by private means. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, her husband was uncooperative with investigators and wouldn’t say why he could not come to his wife’s aid while she was being attacked, according to a source familiar with the case.
An NYPD spokeswoman could not provide any additional details of the case following the arrest of Pablo and Acosta. Their arraignment is pending in Queens Criminal Court.
As of Oct. 8, the 115th Precinct has reported 372 felony assaults so far in 2023, 44 more than the 328 reported at the same point last year, an increase of 13.4%, according to the latest CompStat report. Robberies have also been on the rise in the 115th, with 268 incidents reported so far in 2023. This is 42 more than the 226 seen during the same point last year, an increase of 18.6%, according to CompStat.
