A Manhattan judge on Monday sentenced a man to a year behind bars for his involvement in a violent January 2024 brawl between newly-arrived migrants and NYPD officers in Times Square.
Ulises Bohorquez, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in August, admitting his role in the clash that unfolded outside a migrant shelter on W. 42nd St. near Seventh Ave. on Jan. 27, 2024. He was sentenced to 365 days in jail for his part in the melee.
The sentence was handed down just days after a judge issued an arrest warrant for Edgarlis Vegas, 22, who failed to show up for her own sentencing hearing.
Vegas, a young mother, also pleaded guilty to second-degree assault for kicking an officer during the violent clash. Two weeks before a warrant was issued for her arrest, she attended the sentencing of her partner, Marce Estee, 27, with her baby in tow.
According to cops, the chaos broke out when police tried to clear the group from impeding pedestrian traffic, but the situation escalated when cops said 24-year-old Yohenry Brito became hostile.
The officers tried to arrest Brito after he refused a lawful order when “the next thing you know, they’re being attacked by 13 other people,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a press briefing at the time.
But footage released soon after the press conference shows most of the group complying with officers and walking away, singing in unison. Brito lingered behind, seemingly distracted by his phone, before he became confrontational with a cop who attempted to guide him along.
“Don’t touch me,” Brito repeatedly said in Spanish.
As he walked away, Brito stopped to retrieve a baby stroller, then continues walking before making a snide remark in Spanish, comparing one officer to the TV character “Ugly Betty.”
Moments later, Lt. Ben Kurian grabs Brito by the neck and slams him against a wall, prompting Brito to demand an explanation in Spanish. Brito struggled to break free, and both he and the officer tumbled to the ground. Officer Zunxu Tian then intervened, and chaos erupted as several individuals rushed the officers, kicking and grabbing them while they try to subdue Brito.
None of the officers involved were seriously injured during the fracas.
Brito, who is from Venezuela, is being held at a Rikers Island jail on a $70,000 bail as his trial continues, records show. He’s next due in court on Feb. 10.
Also previously sentenced for their roles in the brawl were Kelvin Servita Arocha, 20, Darwin Gomez, 30, and Yorman Reveron, 25. Gomez was deported by ICE in October before completing his 364-day jail sentence and a case against a minor involved was resolved in Family Court.
The chaotic clash made national headlines when a Criminal Court judge released several of those involved without bail. Tensions soared after reports falsely claimed that those not yet arrested had fled the state.
