The heartless brute who randomly knocked out an 81-year-old girl on the Higher West Facet was out on bail for an earlier crime: exposing himself to a mother and her two youngsters, Manhattan prosecutors mentioned Friday.
Hansel Esparragoza, 37, had two open circumstances towards him in Staten Island and was out on supervised launch when he slugged aged Geula Freeman at West 66th Road and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan on Sept. 13 in a stunning caught-on-video assault, authorities mentioned.
The suspect already had a number of arrest warrants out for him for failing to point out as much as courtroom in these circumstances when he decked the previous woman, prosecutors mentioned.
He was lastly held on $75,000 bail in Manhattan Felony Courtroom at his arraignment Friday on assault costs for allegedly punching his defenseless sufferer.
Esparragoza — a Staten Island resident with 21 prior arrests in all — was busted July 27 when he uncovered himself to a girl and her two kids as he muttered, “Hey Mommy” exterior a strip mall on Staten Island, Manhattan Assistant District Lawyer Hunter Carrell mentioned at Friday’s listening to.
In that case, Esparragoza was charged with youngster endangerment and public lewdness and freed on supervised launch as a result of the raps weren’t bail-eligible, officers mentioned.
He was then re-arrested two weeks later for allegedly swiping a guide from a Barnes & Noble retailer on the Staten Island Mall on Aug. 9.
The suspect was issued a desk-appearance ticket for petit larceny since these costs weren’t bail eligible, both.
“A lot to the dismay of our workplace and the folks of Staten Island, due to New York State’s disastrous so-called bail reform, not one of the costs introduced towards this defendant are bail-eligible,” a spokesman for the Staten Island District Lawyer’s Workplace mentioned.
In Manhattan courtroom Friday, prosecutors walked by means of the second Esparragoza allegedly attacked the defenseless Freeman, who was strolling her son’s Goldendoodle on the time.
Footage of the mindless assault reveals Esparragoza first stroll by the sufferer as she’s strolling with the canine, just for him to show again.
“After taking a number of steps, [Esparragoza], seemingly for no cause, turned again and commenced shortly approaching the grievance … earlier than rearing again and punching her sq. within the jaw,” Carrell mentioned.
Esparragoza’s blow knocked Freeman out chilly. She suffered a fractured nostril and bruising to her face and neck, in accordance with prosecutors.
Freeman has advised The Publish that she has amnesia from the assault and may’t keep in mind something about it.
“It was such a shock as a result of it was described to me the way it occurred that I might not have been in a position to do something,” she mentioned.
Esparragoza’s lawyer, Mariah Martinez, mentioned his consumer struggles from mental-health and substance-abuse points, which have been going “unaddressed” throughout his latest arrests.
Prosecutors mentioned Esparragoza has one prior felony conviction for tried assault after he beat up a stranger who wouldn’t quit his bike.
Esparragoza was arrested Thursday within the Higher West Facet assault and faces three years in jail if convicted of the highest cost — assault within the second diploma.
Manhattan Decide Melissa Lewis acknowledged at Friday’s listening to that Esparragoza wants mental-health remedy however known as the allegations “egregious” earlier than setting bail.
He’s due again in courtroom Oct. 9.
