Two local residents, a mother and son, have each been charged with a single count of assault after they both allegedly attempted to choke a young, female Citi Bike rider. Witnesses reported that the two claimed the Citi Bike rider scratched their ride with her bike.

 

A video recording of the unfolding events shows that a large crowd gathered after a dispute arose between the occupants of a grey Honda Accord and one of two Citi Bike riders on Sunday, July 11 just after 4 p.m. in the Fordham Manor section of the Bronx. The car driver stopped in a designated bus lane, outside Burlington clothing store on Webster Avenue between East Fordham Road and East 193^rd Street.

 

Police responded to the incident and later, many in the crowd, estimated at 75, broke out into spontaneous applause as officers placed handcuffs on the burly male driver. One woman shouted out to the man, “Bye! See ya!”

 

However, several minutes later, when the female passenger in the car was also taken into custody, it drew less applause from the crowd and prompted another woman to call out apparently to the Citi Bike victim, [as opposed to the arresting police officer] “You feel good about yourself, right? Karma’s a [expletive].”

 

One male witness at the scene, who asked not to be identified, recounted to Norwood News what happened before the arrests took place. “The [bike] rider swiped the car,” he said. He then explained that both the car driver, who he said was wearing a red shirt, and the passenger, who transpired to be the driver’s mother, grabbed the Citi Bike rider by the neck.”

 

An NYPD source later reported, “A 23-year-old female reported to police that she was pulled off her bicycle by two individuals after a verbal dispute. She reported being thrown to the ground, grabbed by individuals who ripped her shirt.”

 

The police source added, “The victim sustained visible injuries to her chest, arms and hands.” She was treated for her injuries by EMS at the 52nd precinct.

 

Police charged Luis Quinones, 22, of East Mosholu Parkway South in Bedford Park and Orialys Coriano, 44, of East Mosholu Parkway in Norwood, each with one count of assault.

On July 19, Patrice O’Shaughnessy, director of communications at the Bronx District Attorney’s office, confirmed that the charged individuals were son and mother and that both had been charged with a single count of misdemeanor assault and were issued desk appearance tickets (DATs). Both are expected to be arraigned on July 30.

 

A person arrested and accused of a crime is innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

In a recent edition, Norwood News reported on local residents’ thoughts on the recent expansion of the Citi Bike program to the Northwest Bronx, in particular. Though the program has been active in other parts of the City for a number of years, it was only launched in the Bronx in 2019, as reported. Since then, it has been expanding to other parts of the borough, with a number of bike stations installed in the Northwest Bronx in recent months.

 

Some local residents have voiced concerns that the Citi Bikes are taking away parking spaces, that there should be more bike lanes to protect cyclists from motor traffic, and that often, cyclists are not wearing helmets. Norwood News reached out to the DOT for comment and received the following feedback.

 

“DOT places bike share stations in accordance with rigorous technical siting criteria that takes many factors into account, including accessibility and sidewalk width, parking and truck loading, as well as proximity to street furniture and underground utilities,” a DOT official wrote. “DOT always attempts to strike the appropriate balance amongst the various uses and needs of our streets and sidewalks.”

The agency added that Bronx bike network development is a priority for DOT this year, and more information can be found here. Finally, the agency said that while helmets are not required for bike share users and other cyclists, DOT strongly recommends them.