By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Kevin Gomez was indicted on Thursday in the death of a 3-year-old boy who was run over last month in Flushing.
Gomez, 20, of Maspeth, is charged in a 14-count indictment with manslaughter in the second degree; assault in the second degree; leaving the scene of an incident without reporting; criminally negligent homicide; reckless endangerment in the second degree; reckless driving; operating a motor vehicle or permitting it to be operated in this state without having in full force financial security; two counts of operating a motor vehicle with a tinted window; operating or driving an unregistered motor vehicle; making an unlawful turn; stopping, standing or parking a vehicle in violation of posted restrictions; and two counts of operating or driving a motor vehicle without a license.
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The Infiniti was found parked in front of a fire hydrant at the intersection of College Point Boulevard and Pople Avenue, about four blocks from the collision scene. It was towed to the 109th Precinct station house. The vehicle was observed to have blood on the driver’s side kick board.
Gomez faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
According to the charges:
On Nov. 29, at approximately 6:39 p.m., video surveillance shows that Gomez parked his 2014 white Infiniti Q50 in a No Standing Zone in front of 41-04 College Point Blvd. He went into the Dunkin Donuts at that location and returned to his car.
Quintus Chen, 3, of Flushing, was walking down the street ahead of his father and stepped off the curb in front of the Infiniti.
Video surveillance footage shows that the child’s head cleared the top of the car’s hood and he would have been visible to the driver.
Without signaling, Gomez then pulled forward into a traffic lane on College Point Boulevard.
Quintus was thrown from the hood to the street underneath the car. He was dragged approximately 10 feet. Gomez appeared to slow or stop the vehicle before driving off.
The child sustained severe head and neck trauma and was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
At approximately 8:50 p.m., the Infiniti was found parked in front of a fire hydrant at the intersection of College Point Boulevard and Pople Avenue, about four blocks from the collision scene. It was towed to the 109th Precinct station house. The vehicle was observed to have blood on the driver’s side kick board.
The car’s windows were excessively tinted. The windshield had a light transmittance of 11 percent and the driver’s side window had a light transmittance of 0 percent, both below the legal threshold of 70 percent.
Gomez was arrested the next day when he went to the 109th Precinct to inquire about the whereabouts of his car. He had only a learner’s permit and could not legally drive unless accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old. The car’s registration and insurance had expired.
