Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza
The dramatic incident took place at the Mosquera home on 133rd Avenue in South Ozone Park.
By Michael V. Cusenza
A South Ozone Park man has been indicted for sparking a wild shootout with City cops following a domestic spat with his wife last week, an NYPD officer who works in the 101st Precinct, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday.
Marco Mosquera, 43, was arraigned Monday on a 13-count indictment charging him with attempted murder in the first and second degree, assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree. Mosquera was remanded to Department of Correction custoday and ordered to return to court on Nov. 10.
According to the charges, at approximately 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 14, Marco Mosquera confronted his wife, Daisy Mosquera, who was off-duty, when she entered their home in South Ozone Park.
The defendant became increasingly agitated and broke picture frames and other household items around the residence.
Officer Mosquera tried to calm her husband and clean up. The victim turned her back to her husband as they continued to argue and he retreated to his wife’s bedroom. The defendant emerged from her bedroom and approached her from behind, allegedly pointing her two service weapons at her. Officer Mosquera told her husband that his actions would make the situation worse. Marco Mosquera allegedly warned his wife not to contact law enforcement or the “things would end badly” and reportedly said “there was no way out for them” and that “they would be dying that day.” Officer Mosquera was able to access a telephone and made calls to a relative, then her supervisors and 911 for assistance.
When officers from the 106th Precinct and Emergency Service Unit responded to the home, they discovered the entrance was barricaded. The defendant allegedly fired multiple shots toward the responding officers that shattered the glass door panel. Another responding officer was able to contact
Officer Mosquera inside the house by telephone and instructed her to exit the residence. Officer Mosquera made her way to a second-floor bedroom and jumped from its window. When she landed on the concrete below an officer was able to protect her with a ballistics blanket and shielded them both from additional shots from her husband. At that time, other Emergency Service officers returned fire at the defendant and struck him once in the forearm. As alleged, Marco Mosquera then retreated, walking backwards into the house and continuing to shoot towards officers.
After the defendant eventually surrendered to officers, officers recovered firearms on the walkway beside the home and ammunition—including more than twenty rifle casings, nine .9mm casings inside and outside a bedroom window, and discovered bullet marks inside and nearby the home.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for multiple leg fractures. The defendant was also treated for gunshot injuries at a local hospital.
“This defendant in this case was filled with jealousy when he took his wife’s service weapons and threatened both their lives,” Katz said. “The responding officers swiftly took control of this crisis and averted a much greater tragedy that day.”
Mosquera faces 75 years to life in prison if convicted.
