Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Antonio Olmeda was convicted of two counts attempted murder and other related charges for shooting at two New York City police officers, who had attempted to question him after spotting him on a Jackson Heights corner wearing a disguise, including a fake mustache.

District Attorney Katz said: “The defendant shot at two New York City police officers at close range after they asked him to remove his hands from his pockets. Thankfully, neither officer was injured but lives were placed in danger as a bullet went through a window at a nearby pediatric dentist’s office.”

Olmeda, 66, of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, was convicted by a jury of two counts of attempted murder in the first degree, attempted aggravated assault of a police officer and attempted assault in the first degree. Trial openings began on June 16 and summations on June 26. The jury deliberated for approximately 10 minutes before reaching a verdict on June 27.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder indicated that he will sentence Olmeda on July 15, at which time the defendant faces up to 80 years to life in prison.

Due to a procedural issue involving the defendant’s sentence on a federal matter, the state judge was unable to honor the defendant’s original plea of guilty and the case was returned to Supreme Court for trial.

District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges, on December 11, 2011, at approximately 3:45 p.m., Police Officers Stephen Danisi and Matthew Ferrara were on foot patrol in the vicinity of 37-55 76^th Street in Jackson Heights. They were alerted about a suspicious man wearing a long trench coat, fedora, eyeglasses and a fake mustache and fake beard.

When the officers observed the defendant, he had his hands in his pockets and they asked him to remove his hands. Olmeda refused. Officer Danisi then placed his hands on Olmeda’s back and felt that the defendant was wearing a bulletproof vest underneath his trench coat. Olmeda freed himself from the officer’s hand, stepped away from the officers, then turned around, produced a .38-caliber Taurus revolver and fired three rounds in the direction of the officers. One round penetrated the window of a nearby pediatric dentist’s office.

As the defendant fled, he discarded his fedora, mustache, beard, eyeglasses and hat which were recovered and swabbed for DNA. The DNA matched a sample on file from the defendant’s previous weapon possession conviction.

On December 19, 2011, the defendant was apprehended as he tried to enter his vehicle parked on East 16^th Street in Manhattan. A .38-caliber revolver with two live rounds of ammunition and three spent shell casings were recovered from his car.

Assistant District Attorneys Kanella Georgopoulos and Jennie Evangelista of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau are prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, and Karen Ross and Jonathan Selkowe, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.