One of the New York City migrants accused of beating two police officers in Times Square claimed Friday during court that he is now afraid of jail time due to “numerous death threats” that he has received online, his attorney said.
Venezuelan migrant, Yorman Reveron, 24, appeared in court Friday over allegations that he was involved in the beating of two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers late January. Reveron’s attorney asked presiding Judge Ruth Pickholtz if the migrant could be freed without bail in order to protect himself, as he allegedly “received numerous death threats on social media in regards to this case,” according to the New York Post. (RELATED: New York Pledges More Than $2 Billion To Assist City Migrant Crisis)
“They are, to be frank, afraid to come to court,” Reveron’s attorney said of the migrant and his family.
Pickholtz responded dismissively, referencing Reveron’s criminal history in his year in the United States, the NY Post reported.
“It’s clear that Mr. Reveron has been here one year and already had two interactions with the law: petit larcenies and assaultive behavior,” the judge stated before holding Reveron on a $100,000 bail. “And while he was out on supervised release, he continued in this case. So bail is appropriate at this time.”
NEW: One of the migrants who allegedly beat NYPD officers in Times Square is now worried that *he* will be assaulted.
Laughable.
Venezuelan migrant Yorman Reveron’s attorney told a judge that he has “received numerous death threats on social media in regards to this case” as he… pic.twitter.com/ciA1pY61dj
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 17, 2024
In a single year living in New York City, Reveron has been arrested on at least two other occaisions before his latest run in with authorities, the outlet reported. Late 2023, the Venezuelan migrant had reportedly punched and bit a store employee after attempting to steal pants from a Nordstrom Rack in November. Additionally, just prior to Christmas Reveron was allegedly involved in another altercation with a Macy’s employee, punching the worker in the face after attempting to steal a coat and suitcase, according to the NY Post.
Reveron was indicted along with six other illegal migrants Feb. 8 in connection to the NYC police battery incident. Reveron was charged on two counts of second degree assault and one count second degree obstruction of governmental administration. During the night of the incident on Jan. 27, the Venezuelan migrant allegedly grabbed, pulled and threw both officers, according to the indictment.
Backlash flooded online following the altercation after four of the arrested migrants were promptly released after being held without bail. The other four migrants were placed on bail Friday, with set bail amounts ranging from a procedural $1 to $100,000. All suspects pled not guilty.
“From the beginning from when these individuals were arrested, we said it from the beginning, they should’ve been put behind bars, they should’ve never been released,” Police Benevolent Association (PBA) President Patrick Hendry said following the court decision. “The DA in the case should’ve requested bail. The judge should’ve kept them behind bars. But yet they were allowed back on the streets to cause havoc. Today, for the second day, our criminal justice system did its job.”
“These individuals are all behind bars where they belong. We’re going to continue to be in these court rooms, to make sure that anyone who assaults a New York City police officer is behind bars where they belong,” he continued. “The criminal justice system needs to continue to do its job – it did it for two straight days – it needs to do it and send a message to all New York City police officers: ‘We got your back.’ We need them to send that message, that they have our back.”