A Honduran national previously deported from the United States has been charged in the death of a 16-year-old girl in Queens after a drunk driving incident early Saturday morning.
Police identified the suspect as 38-year-old Edwin Cruz Gomez, who the New York City Police Department arrested after allegedly striking and killing Jhoanny Gomez-Alvarez with a gray Chevy Suburban. Authorities said the teen’s mother was also dragged by the vehicle but survived with injuries. The attack occurred after Gomez allegedly harassed the victims and was rejected.
According to police, Gomez fled the scene and later crashed into a parked car at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Benham Street. Officers arrested him shortly afterward and charged him with murder, three counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault, and other crimes.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that Gomez is a Honduran national who was deported in 2005. In April 2013, he was arrested for driving under the influence and detained by ICE Long Island, where he was issued a reinstatement of removal. He was released three months later under the Alternatives to Detention program and failed to appear.
Court records show Gomez continued to accumulate arrests. In October 2024, he was taken into custody for possessing a forged instrument, but was not prioritized for removal under the Biden administration’s enforcement guidelines. A month later, he was convicted of driving without a license in Nassau County and sentenced to five days in jail. In January 2025, he was arrested again for driving under the influence but was released before ICE could issue a detainer.
ICE lodged an immigration detainer following his Sept. 13 arrest. Officials said the case highlights the risks posed by repeat immigration violators who reenter the country after deportation.
Gomez is currently in custody in New York awaiting trial.
