VIDEO: Homeless Woman Allegedly Tries to Strangle Teen in NYC

A homeless woman was taken into custody Saturday in connection to a choking attack involving a teenage girl at a Queens restaurant.

Thirty-six-year-old Minerva Martinez was charged with strangulation in the incident that happened at approximately 5:15 p.m. on October 4 at Watawa Sushi located on Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, police told the New York Post.

Crazed man wanted for trying to strangle teen girl in Astoria https://t.co/Q0CCpxvwEC pic.twitter.com/pFm76Lxc65

— New York Post (@nypost) October 9, 2021

Surveillance video showed the moment a person with grey hair and wearing a white shirt, black jacket, and jeans came up behind the 16-year-old girl and apparently put her in a chokehold:

🚨WANTED🚨for Strangulation in front of in the vicinity of at 33-10 Ditmars Boulevard #steinway #queens On 10/04/21 @ 5:22PM Reward up to $3500 Seen him? Know who he is? Call 1-800-577-TIPS or DM us! Calls are CONFIDENTIAL! #yourcityyourcall pic.twitter.com/vGVqpQK71j

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) October 9, 2021

Seconds later, the individual walked away but looked back at the teenager and approached the table again before someone carrying a black bag stepped into the situation.

The teenager suffered pain, redness, and swelling but was not transported to a local hospital, authorities noted.

Police initially said they were searching for a male suspect but eventually announced they had arrested Martinez regarding the incident.

She has a lengthy rap sheet that includes six felony arrests, law enforcement sources said, adding that in January 2020, police spotted her incoherently talking to herself in Queens and transported her to Elmhurst Hospital.

“There was a warrant issued in August for her arrest on a grand-larceny charge, sources said,” the Post report continued.

Meanwhile, crime in Democrat-run New York City rose in September as Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) was reportedly in the early stages of setting up a gubernatorial campaign.

New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio speak during a news conference on the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in New York on March 2, 2020 in New York City. A female health worker in her 30s who had traveled in Iran contracted the virus and is now isolated at home with symptoms of COVID-19, but is not in serious condition. Cuomo said in a statement that the patient "has been in a controlled situation since arriving to New York." (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio speak during a news conference on the first confirmed case of coronavirus in New York on March 2, 2020, in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

According to the Daily Mail:

Stark data released by the NYPD Wednesday shows crime rose 2.6 percent overall in September 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, with an extra 243 incidents reported. The biggest increase was for felonious assault – or assault with a dangerous weapon – which surged by a shocking 18.5 percent from 1,802 in September 2020 to 2,135 in September 2021, as New Yorkers have been plagued by random attacks in the streets of the city.

“The data also reveals a concerning trend in other criminal activity, with robberies up 6 percent, car theft up 4.1 percent and grand larceny up .7 percent within the same timeframe,” the outlet said.

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