New York City police continue to investigate the “street takeover” event that recently shook the community in the Queens area. An individual suspected of involvement in the incident has been arrested, and multiple criminal charges have been brought against him. Councilman Phil Wong stated that this arrest is an important step in holding individuals accountable, emphasizing that there will be more individuals involved in the incident facing legal consequences in the future.
According to authorities, the 22-year-old suspect, Asil Assaidi, from the Bronx area, was arrested on the morning of April 23 at the NYPD’s 104th Precinct in Ridgewood, Queens. He is charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of riot, two counts of criminal mischief, and other related offenses.
Police released photos of him engaging in illegal street activities without a driver’s license and performing “stunts” in Chinatown.
The incident took place around 2 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, at the intersection of Eliot Avenue and 69th Street in Chinatown. Authorities reported that approximately 100 cars were involved in the illegal gathering and reckless driving activities such as burnouts, donuts, drifting, and even setting fire hoops in the middle of the street, dangerously close to two gas stations, creating chaos and high risk. Assaidi was allegedly driving one of the vehicles involved in the incident.
Congressman Meng Zhaowen stated, “As the investigation continues, more arrests are expected to be made. I commend the work of the 104th Precinct in pursuing this case and ensuring accountability for all involved parties.” Councilman Phil Wong added, “Those who participated in this chaos, endangering the lives of others, must face the consequences, but we must also prevent such events from happening again fundamentally.”
Police revealed that officers from the 104th Precinct arrived at the scene within three minutes after receiving multiple 911 calls. However, most vehicles had already fled northbound along 69th Street towards the Long Island Expressway. During the incident, someone pushed orange construction barriers towards police cars, and two individuals jumped on the front of a patrol car, causing the windshield to shatter before escaping and driving a black Nissan car westbound on Eliot Avenue.
NYPD Commissioner Tish expressed on social media, “Such reprehensible behavior has often lacked legal consequences in the past, which clearly needs to change now. I expect the suspects to be held fully accountable for their actions.”
Phil Wong noted that the police manpower was tight on the night of the incident, with some officers being reassigned to handle another case in Easthurst and Colonna. He stated that efforts will be ongoing to increase police deployment.
The NYPD emphasized that they will continue to crack down on illegal car gatherings, stating, “Since the beginning of this year, we have successfully disrupted 61 related incidents, arrested 51 people, and impounded 62 vehicles.”