Rejected Sexual Advances Lead to Fatal Attack: Intoxicated Man in His 30s Kills 16-Year-Old Girl in New York

Retaliatory Attack with Vehicle After Sexual Harassment in New York
Perpetrator Was Intoxicated and Driving with a Suspended License

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In New York City, a man in his 30s struck and killed a teenage girl with his vehicle after she rejected his sexual advances while she was with her family. The perpetrator was intoxicated at the time and was driving with a suspended license.

The New York Post reported that at around 2:30 a.m. on September 14 (local time), 16-year-old Joanny Gomez Alvarez was hit and killed by an SUV near the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and 91st Street in Elmhurst, Queens. The perpetrator, 38-year-old Edwin Cruz Gomez, was found to be heavily intoxicated, with a blood alcohol content far above the legal limit, and his driver’s license had been suspended.

The incident occurred as the victim’s family was leaving a restaurant. Gomez approached the victim and her mother, making sexual remarks and openly stating, “I want to have sex,” among other offensive comments. The victim’s stepfather, enraged by Gomez’s behavior, confronted him, and a violent physical altercation ensued between the two men. The fight was temporarily broken up by bystanders, and the victim’s family attempted to leave the scene.

However, Gomez immediately got into his vehicle and drove onto the sidewalk, targeting the victim’s family. The SUV headed straight for the victim, pinning the girl between a pillar and the vehicle, killing her at the scene. The victim’s mother also suffered a severe leg injury and was transported to the hospital. CCTV footage and videos posted on social media by witnesses captured the mother collapsing and wailing in front of her daughter’s body immediately after the incident.

During the investigation, Gomez admitted partial responsibility, stating, “I think I said something inappropriate to them.” Prosecutors did not view his actions as a mere accident but as a deliberate attack, charging him with multiple felonies, including second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, drunk driving, and attempted murder.

Prosecutors emphasized that “the victim was attacked with no way to escape, and the brutality of the incident is extremely severe,” stressing that a harsh punishment is inevitable. The perpetrator is currently being held without bail, and the first trial is scheduled for September 20. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 25 years to life imprisonment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.