A Woodside couple was arraigned on attempted murder charges Sunday for beating and stabbing a man in Sunnyside during an argument over a parking spot Friday afternoon. (File photo by Lloyd Mitchell)
March 20, 2023 By Bill Parry
A Woodside man and his girlfriend were arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on March 19 in connection with the vicious beating of a man in Sunnyside last week that left the victim critically injured and fighting for his life.
Arturo Cuevas, 30, of 48th Street, and his live-in girlfriend Daisy Barrera, 27, were charged with attempted murder in the second degree and multiple assault charges in the March 17 stabbing and beating of 28-year-old Wilson Chabla Lliguicota after an argument over a parking spot exploded into violence and a woman was struck by one of the attackers with a baseball bat as she tried to intervene in the attack.
Police from the 108th Precinct in Long Island City responded to a 911 call of an assault on 47th Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets in Sunnyside just before 4 p.m. on March 17. Upon their arrival, officers found the victim lying in the roadway in a pool of blood, according to the charges.
Cuevas and Barrera were seen on surveillance video engaged in an argument with the victim when Cuevas suddenly pulled out a sharp object and stabbed him multiple times in his body, the charges state. As Lliguicota was lying prone on the street, Barrera began to bludgeon him in his head multiple times with a baseball bat, according to the criminal complaint. Cuevas continued to stomp the defenseless victim.
An eyewitness tried to come to the victim’s rescue but Barrera struck her in the arm with the baseball bat causing “considerable pain.”
EMS rushed Lliguicota to Elmhurst Hospital Center where he was listed in critical but stable condition on Monday with lacerations to his body and face which required medical treatment and he also suffered severe brain trauma, which required emergency neurosurgery, according to the criminal complaint. Lliguicota remains on a ventilator in critical condition as of Monday evening. The good Samaritan refused medical attention at the scene.
While undergoing questioning by detectives at the 108th Precinct in Long Island City, Cuevas allegedly stated, “It was me, I told you it was me already. I already told you that I’m the one who did it.”
Cuevas also allegedly revealed during the interrogation by the detectives that he knew the victim and told them where they could find the weapons used during the brutal attack.
“I punched, kicked, stabbed, slashed with a knife and hit with a baseball bat, Wilson, numerous times,” he allegedly stated to detectives. “I took the bat and knife and brought them to my apartment and they are in my room.”
Cuevas and Barrera were ordered held without bond.
“This shocking display of brutality will be met with justice,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “We have charged attempted murder and given the viciousness of the attack, asked the court to keep the defendants in custody prior to trial. The request for remand was granted. Our thoughts are with the victims.”
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14 Comments
THIS is why.
When you take parking spaces away from EVERY block for Citibikes that only a select few use, you increase the chances for fights and a lot of frustration. (These two are just foul.) Someone needs to rein in the bike installations that are eliminating parking for those of us who need a car. Put those Citibikes up on the sidewalks and get those lost parking spaces back before we have more incidents.
Trump was right about our borders. Deport this trash. Mass door to door deportations next please.
What nice neighbors we have! I’m sure that Tiffany Caban thinks well of them what with their being “disadvantaged”. Or something. What does Julie Won say? Someone wake her up.
This is what lived in the old Mets. Sone are still there like this guy. Others died, moved or are being forced out because of policy change by the new management. Just another reason to say no to low income housing.
There’s free parking in jail
Did they have any priors before this incident? What is council member Wons thoughts?
Julie Won thoughts would be that they were misunderstood, assign them a social worker to talk to them and find them housing, and for all of us to walk in pairs and still stand behind defunding the police. We need to vote for her opponent during the June Primary.
So Julie doesn’t care.
I honestly don’t see rehabilitation being even remotely possible for someone who was OK with this level of violence. This was some next-level stuff; I couldn’t even watch the entire video. I think “prison forever” would be the safest thing for us New Yorkers, and not unwarranted. If Wilson survives, it will be an accident; a freak of nature.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Cuevas and Barrera agreed with my sentiment.
Close the border. Mass deportations needed.
This area is well-known for having no protected bike lanes and unlimited curb space for car parking. A utopia for drivers. And yet this happens? Maybe I was wrong about bike lanes. You don’t see this stuff on Skillman Avenue. Much to think about.
Queens Streets for All post a link to this article with no comment. As if to egg their supporters on and inspire further rage and violence against bike lanes, which they blame for every negative thing that happens, including recent muggings. You can’t make this stuff up!
>>You don’t see this stuff on Skillman Avenue. Much to think about.
Skillman is reserved for assaults in the commission of a robbery.