One of many teenagers charged within the lethal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy on a Queens avenue was out on “supervised launch” in a separate gang assault case on the time of the deadly daytime ambush, The Submit has discovered.
Derek Trejo, 18, was lower free by Choose Jennifer Tubridy simply two months earlier than he and a 17-year-old confederate allegedly received into the deadly dust-up with sufferer Josue Argudo, an entire stranger, on Friday afternoon in Woodhaven.
Trejo had been busted as a part of a crew of seven brutal perps accused of beating a 34-year-old stranger, pummeling him and hurling a visitors cone at him — earlier than knifing him within the again — on 88th Avenue close to Woodhaven Boulevard on July 22, 2025, cops and prosecutors stated.
He was busted on Nov. 12 — however didn’t keep behind bars for lengthy. Tubridy granted him supervised launch regardless of the Queens District Lawyer’s Workplace requesting he be held on $40,000 money bail or $80,000 bond, officers stated.
Lower than two months after he was launched with out financial bail, Trejo and his buddy allegedly received into an argument with Argudo — that ended with the 17-year-old confederate plunging a knife into the sufferer’s torso at Jamaica Avenue and 76th Road round 3:45 p.m., cops stated.
Trejo was again behind bars Monday as he now faces a second-degree homicide cost within the broad-daylight ambush, prosecutors stated.
Argudo’s neighbors in Woodhaven have been astonished on the decide’s transfer to launch Trejo in November.
“How can she do that? Look in his face! He has no take care of life,” Maria Carmen, 27, a mom of three who lives on the identical block because the slain teen, stated of the decide.
“If [the judge] has to stay right here, stay with him standing outdoors, she wouldn’t let him again out once more,” Carmen stated.
One other neighbor, who recognized himself as Oscar, 19, stated that gangbangers “know nothing goes to occur,” even when they’re arrested.
“They’re not loopy, they know,” he stated. “Considered one of that crew received arrested like 20 instances. He’s nonetheless out. They know the way it works right here.”
Argudo had tried to flee from the dispute with the 2 different teenagers, however the assailants caught up with their goal and roughed him up, authorities stated.
The youthful ruffian, who hasn’t been publicly recognized as a result of he’s a minor, then knifed Argudo on the nook of Jamaica Avenue and 76th Road, in response to cops and prosecutors.
Neighbors who noticed the assault gave Argudo CPR earlier than he was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in important situation. He couldn’t be saved.
“He was only a good child who simply wished to go to highschool,” stated Eddie Gamble, 61, an engineer who has lived within the neighborhood for 46 years, including that Argudo lived close by together with his aunt and sister.
“You could possibly see in the event you simply checked out him, you simply speak to him, he was all the time simply smiling. I imply in the event you watch the video he didn’t even struggle again,” he stated, apparently referring to footage of the incident.
He stated the suspects are a part of a gang that hangs out at an area McDonald’s.
“That’s their turf. Everyone is aware of that,” Gamble stated. “We see this daily. These children are savages. After they [killed him], they simply walked throughout the road and watched.”
Trejo apparently lived a number of miles away, on the opposite aspect of Queens, in response to cops, together with his final identified tackle being the Wyndham Backyard Lengthy Island Metropolis lodge, which town had operated as a migrant shelter.
Each Trejo and the 17-year-old — who’s charged with second-degree homicide as an adolescent offender — have been ordered held with out bail throughout their arraignments Sunday night time.
“As alleged, the teenage perpetrator and co-defendant, Derek Trejo, engaged the 17-year-old sufferer in an argument on Jamaica Avenue that quickly grew to become bodily,” Queens District Lawyer Melinda Katz stated in an announcement.
“The teenage defendant produced a knife and stabbed Argudo within the torso. Regardless of the help of good Samaritans and first responders, Josue handed away a short while later,” Katz stated.
“The defendants have been remanded at their arraignments and the investigation into this callous act of violence is ongoing,” Katz stated. “We be a part of the household and associates of Josue as they mourn his loss.”
