Violent Street Takeover Leaves Queens Neighborhood in Shock
In the early hours of Sunday morning, a quiet, middle-class neighborhood in Malba, Queens erupted into chaos when approximately 40 vehicles descended upon the intersection of South Drive and 141st Street. What began as a street takeover quickly spiraled into violence, leaving residents traumatized, property destroyed, and a vehicle engulfed in flames. The incident, which took place around 12:30 a.m., has been described by City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino as a “planned attack” that terrorized the community. Video footage captured cars speeding recklessly through residential streets, performing donuts, and even driving across homeowners’ lawns as onlookers cheered and recorded the mayhem on their phones. The community, already struggling with increased crime over the past two years, now faces another disturbing example of lawlessness in New York City.
Larry Rusch, a private security guard and local resident, was one of the first to respond to the disturbance. Upon hearing the commotion outside his home, Rusch discovered dozens of vehicles speeding through the neighborhood streets. In an attempt to disperse the crowd, he parked his own vehicle in the intersection to block further access. “As soon as I did that, everyone started leaving,” Rusch told The New York Post. However, his intervention came at a steep cost. Two individuals approached his car, threw what appeared to be fireworks at the vehicle, and set it ablaze. Video shared by Councilwoman Paladino shows the horrifying aftermath—Rusch’s car burning in the middle of the residential street as other vehicles continued to speed around the flames, prolonging the chaos rather than fleeing the scene.
The violence didn’t end with property damage. Blake Ferrer, another local resident, suffered serious injuries when he attempted to protect his property from the intruders. “When I came out, I said, ‘Bro, you gotta get the f— off my property,'” Ferrer recounted to The Post. “And that’s when it all started.” The mob quickly turned their attention to Ferrer and his wife, with additional footage showing a group of individuals attacking the couple. The confrontation left Ferrer with a broken nose, shoulder, and ribs. A third resident also reported having objects thrown into their car during the incident, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the attack. As daylight broke on Sunday morning, the full extent of the damage became clear: skid marks scarred the roadways, Rusch’s vehicle sat charred with windows blown out, and traumatized residents struggled to make sense of the night’s events.
Questions about police response have intensified community concerns following the incident. Councilwoman Paladino initially criticized the NYPD’s response time, stating that residents who called 911 were told that a “quality of life team and 311 should handle the situation”—a clearly inadequate response to the violent chaos unfolding. In her walk-through video of the aftermath, Paladino expressed her outrage: “At 12:30 a.m. last night, a hundred animals descended upon this neighborhood. Walk around and you will see the skid marks. But most important of all, I want you to take a look at this car. They actually set a car on fire, they terrorized this neighborhood.” Her frustration reflects growing concerns about the city’s ability to maintain order and protect communities from such coordinated attacks.
The NYPD has defended its response, explaining in a statement to Fox News Digital that while the initial responding officer was rerouted to a more serious call, officers were quickly dispatched once the incident was upgraded to a higher priority. “The [precinct] covers a large geographical area, and this was a busy Saturday night,” a spokesperson for the NYPD stated. “At the time of the incident in question, other units from the [precinct] were handling multiple priority jobs, including an arrest for an individual who was driving while intoxicated, transporting someone to the hospital, an assault, and a vehicle collision with injuries.” In response to the incident, the department has promised increased patrols within the area to “ensure this doesn’t happen again,” but many residents remain skeptical given the pattern of similar incidents across the city.
This street takeover in Queens represents a disturbing trend that has been affecting cities across the United States. Councilwoman Paladino highlighted the premeditated nature of the attack during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” the following Tuesday, saying, “This was a planned attack. This was all preempted. They were prepared to do exactly what they did.” She further voiced concerns about the lack of consequences for such criminal behavior, noting, “These incidents are happening citywide, and they’re happening because there are no longer any real consequences to this kind of criminality.” The Malba neighborhood, which according to Paladino “has been plagued for the past two years with home robberies, burglaries, car theft and just these wise guys,” now faces the challenge of rebuilding both its physical spaces and its sense of security. As residents clean up the debris and repair damaged property, the lingering question remains: how can communities protect themselves when organized groups are seemingly free to terrorize neighborhoods with impunity?
