Story by Ethan
On March 20th, 2026, the arrest of Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce, age 18, was announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce was charged with first-degree Assault, second-degree Attempted Murder, and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. The arrest and charges against Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce were a result of an investigation handled by Detective Jasmin Gutic of the 115th Precinct Detective Squad.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, at approximately 6:17 a.m. on March 16th, 2026, the victim was crossing between 23rd Avenue and 94th Street heading towards a nearby bus stop at the intersection. Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce walked up behind the victim and allegedly repeatedly stabbed her with a knife several times between pauses. The defendant immediately fled from the scene without saying anything before, during, or after the incident. The victim was transported to a local hospital and received 11 stitches amongst other care. A bloody knife was found by detectives approximately 15 feet away on the ground near the intersection where the stabbing took place. Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce surrendered himself to authorities at the NYPD’s 115th precinct on the morning of March 19th, 2025.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Luis Emmanuel Valencia Ponce are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
