Story by Ethan
On July 7th, 2026, the arrest of Anthony Lanno, age 52, was announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Anthony Lanno was charged with second-degree Assault, second-degree Vehicular Assault, seventh-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, two counts of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting, two counts of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Impaired by Use of Drugs, Operating a Motor Vehicle While Impaired by Combined Use of Drugs or of Alcohol and Drugs, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. The arrest and charges against Anthony Lanno were a result of an investigation handled by the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, at approximately 6:40 a.m. on January 18th, 2026, Anthony Lanno left an apartment building on 115th Street in College Point. The defendant entered his gray 2007 Lincoln Town car before driving off from the area at approximately 6:45 a.m. without there being any visible damage to the vehicle’s exterior. Anthony Lanno then traveled eastbound on 14th avenue while allegedly speeding. At the same time 71-year-old Ruiqin Lin was crossing the street at the intersection of 14th Avenue and 120th Street before she was struck by Anthony Lanno before he then sped away. A nearby good samaritan called 911 which led to Ruiqin Lin being transported to a local hospital by emergency responders. The victim was treated for bleeding on her brain, a fracture to her right shoulder, and a fracture to her pelvis.
After the collision Anthony Lanno continued speeding eastbound on 14th Avenue before driving onto the curb, crossing onto the sidewalk, and then crashing into a fence on 13-21 College Point Boulevard. After hitting the fence with his vehicle the defendant put the car into reverse to back out and then continue southbound on College Point Boulevard. Anthony Lanno then drove onto the Whitestone Expressway on the intersection of 20th Avenue before then entering the Van Wyck Expressway and continuing southbound onto the Belt Parkway. At approximately 7:28 a.m. several 911 calls were made reporting a male asleep in the driver’s seat of a parked gray Lincoln Town car in the wrong direction on the eastbound side of the Belt Parkway near Farmers Boulevard. Medical personnel arrived on the scene to remove Anthony Lanno from his vehicle and transport him to a local hospital. The defendant allegedly exhibited signs of inebriation including slurred speech, droopy eyelids, and unsteadiness on his feet. A court-authorized search warrant led to a blood draw being performed on the defendant. The blood draw revealed that Anthony Lanno had Xanax and amphetamines in his system, in addition to the defendant being found with nine Xanax pills on him that he attempted to flush down a hospital toilet.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Anthony Lanno are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
