Story by Ethan
On September 28th, 2026, the arrest of Melissa Duran, age 39, was announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Melissa Duran was charged with first-degree Attempted Assault, two counts of first-degree Criminal Contempt, second-degree Attempted Murder, second-degree Assault, third and fourth-degree Criminal Mischief, and two counts of fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. The arrest and charges against Melissa Duran were a result of an investigation handled by the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, on September 23rd, 2026, at approximately 5:19 a.m. Melissa Duran showed up at her mother’s residence despite the active order of protection against the defendant by her mother. After Melissa Duran parked her red Honda Civic before smashing the front and rear driver’s side windows of her mother’s white BMW and then driving off three minutes later. The next day at approximately 11:45 a.m. a 54-year-old man standing outside on his porch was approached by Melissa Duran after she exited her red Honda Civic. The defendant then allegedly began to charge at the man with a kitchen knife while screaming, “What are you looking at?” before slashing downwards at him and inflicting a laceration stretching from his temple to his ear. The victim was transported to a local hospital to be treated for the severe injury. Later the same day at approximately 9:10 p.m. Melissa Duran went back to her mother’s residence and attacked the rear end of the white BMW. The commotion alerted the defendant’s mother who went outside and observed her vehicle sustaining several dents as well as a kitchen knife stuck in the rear bumper.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Melissa Duran are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
