A Queens man faces serious charges after allegedly biting off part of an off-duty NYPD officer’s finger while the officer tried to help a 9-year-old girl who had just been violently attacked.
On the day before Mother’s Day, the young girl stood beside her mother at the corner of Central Avenue and 67th Place in Glendale, Queens. A man approached her, asked her name, and suddenly struck her in the face, knocking her to the ground.
The shocking assault was captured on camera and has deeply disturbed many who’ve seen it.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s office, the girl suffered a bleeding lip and arm, and some of her teeth were loosened in the attack.
But the violence didn’t stop there.
“A sergeant who was off duty at the time did what good Samaritans do—and what good police officers do—he followed the suspect and approached him,” said Queens DA Melinda Katz.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Feliz Enrique, then bit Officer Sebastian Hajder multiple times—on the knee, hand, and ultimately the tip of his finger, which he bit off completely.
Doctors couldn’t reattach the finger.
Enrique has been arraigned on a grand jury indictment, facing charges of assault, harassment, and endangering the welfare of a child.
At the time of the incident, Enrique was on parole following a seven-year prison sentence for attempted murder.
The young girl is now back home and recovering, though her family remains shaken. Community members are also voicing their outrage.
“For a grown man to strike a little girl like that is outrageous. And to bite off a cop’s finger?” said local resident Sharif Person.
Following the incident, Enrique reportedly told authorities, “This isn’t the first time it’s happened. I beat up her father. Yeah, I punched her.” He also described eating the officer’s finger.
Enrique remains in custody and is undergoing a mental fitness evaluation ahead of trial.
He’s due back in court on July 10. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison.
The investigation continues into the motive behind this unsettling series of events.
“I hate to think that we’re all living in fear every day,” Katz said. “We try to keep our kids safe, try to protect our families. But when something like this happens, there will be accountability.”
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Vikas Lalit is an experienced content writer at OTE News, covering business, economy, and international affairs. With a degree in Journalism, he combines analytical thinking with engaging storytelling to deliver well-researched updates. Vikas is passionate about uncovering underreported stories that impact readers.
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