A Brooklyn man last week was ordered held without bail on burglary, robbery and assault charges in an April 2014 home invasion that left an elderly Bayside couple seriously injured, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
Vincente Barzola, 39, of East New York, was arraigned last Thursday on first- and second-degree burglary, first- and second-degree robbery and second-degree assault charges.
According to the complaint, Barzola, along with previously apprehended co-defendant Christopher Ramirez, 24, rang the doorbell of John and Sofia Dima on the afternoon of April 23. Sofia Dima, then 85, answered the door and the defendants allegedly told her they were from the co-op’s maintenance department and needed her signature on a form. When she unlocked the door, the pair allegedly stormed in.
Brown said that Barzola allegedly punched Sofia Dima in the face, knocked her to the floor and pushed his foot into her chest. The elderly woman was then allegedly choked by Barzola until she lost consciousness. When she awoke, her home had been ransacked and her chest was covered in blood. Although her hands were tied with plastic ties, Sofia somehow managed to get up and alert a neighbor, who called police.
The complaint also alleges that Ramirez went upstairs and found John Dima, then 87, asleep in his bed. He was yanked to the floor and struck with a closed fist on his back and head, as well as having his hands bound with plastic ties and his face pepper sprayed.
Barzola and Ramirez then allegedly removed a safe that contained more than $15,000 in cash from the residence, along with both gold and diamond jewelry. The Dimas were both taken to an area hospital with serious injuries and spent five days there, including time in intensive care. Sofia suffered numerous facial fractures, bruising and tenderness to her neck, and John now requires the use of a cane to walk as a result of the injuries he suffered in the attack.
Ramirez, of Corona, was arraigned on June 26, 2014, on similar burglary, robbery and assault charges as Barzola. Since being arraigned, Ramirez has been held on Rikers Island in lieu of $100,000 bond/$75,000 cash bail. Barzola and Ramirez each face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Their next court date is Jan. 30.
