One of many teenagers charged within the lethal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy on a Queens avenue was out on “supervised launch” in a separate gang assault case on the time of the deadly daytime ambush, The Publish has realized.
Derek Trejo, 18, was reduce free by Decide Jennifer Tubridy simply two months earlier than he and a 17-year-old confederate allegedly bought into the deadly dust-up with sufferer Josue Argudo, a whole stranger, on Friday afternoon in Woodhaven.
Trejo had been busted as a part of a crew of seven brutal perps accused of beating a 34-year-old stranger, pummeling him and hurling a visitors cone at him — earlier than knifing him within the again — on 88th Avenue close to Woodhaven Boulevard on July 22, 2025, cops and prosecutors mentioned.
He was busted on Nov. 12 — however didn’t keep behind bars for lengthy. Tubridy granted him supervised launch regardless of the Queens District Legal professional’s Workplace requesting he be held on $40,000 money bail or $80,000 bond, officers mentioned.
Lower than two months after he was launched with out financial bail, Trejo and his buddy allegedly bought into an argument with Argudo — that ended with the 17-year-old confederate plunging a knife into the sufferer’s torso at Jamaica Avenue and 76th Road round 3:45 p.m., cops mentioned.
Trejo was again behind bars Monday as he now faces a second-degree homicide cost within the broad-daylight ambush, prosecutors mentioned.
Argudo’s neighbors in Woodhaven had been astonished on the decide’s transfer to launch Trejo in November.
“How can she do that? Look in his face! He has no look after life,” Maria Carmen, 27, a mom of three who lives on the identical block because the slain teen, mentioned of the decide.
“If [the judge] has to dwell right here, dwell with him standing exterior, she wouldn’t let him again out once more,” Carmen mentioned.
One other neighbor, who recognized himself as Oscar, 19, mentioned that gangbangers “know nothing goes to occur,” even when they’re arrested.
“They’re not loopy, they know,” he mentioned. “One in every of that crew bought arrested like 20 instances. He’s nonetheless out. They know the way it works right here.”
Argudo had tried to flee from the dispute with the 2 different teenagers, however the assailants caught up with their goal and roughed him up, authorities mentioned.
The youthful ruffian, who hasn’t been publicly recognized as a result of he’s a minor, then knifed Argudo on the nook of Jamaica Avenue and 76th Road, based on cops and prosecutors.
Neighbors who noticed the assault gave Argudo CPR earlier than he was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in crucial situation. He couldn’t be saved.
“He was only a good child who simply wished to go to high school,” mentioned Eddie Gamble, 61, an engineer who has lived within the neighborhood for 46 years, including that Argudo lived close by along with his aunt and sister.
“You can see in the event you simply checked out him, you simply speak to him, he was at all times simply smiling. I imply in the event you watch the video he didn’t even struggle again,” he mentioned, apparently referring to footage of the incident.
He mentioned the suspects are a part of a gang that hangs out at a neighborhood McDonald’s.
“That’s their turf. Everyone is aware of that,” Gamble mentioned. “We see this each day. These youngsters are savages. After they [killed him], they simply walked throughout the road and watched.”
Trejo apparently lived a number of miles away, on the opposite aspect of Queens, based on cops, along with his final recognized tackle being the Wyndham Backyard Lengthy Island Metropolis resort, which the town had operated as a migrant shelter.
Each Trejo and the 17-year-old — who’s charged with second-degree homicide as an adolescent offender — had been ordered held with out bail throughout their arraignments Sunday evening.
“As alleged, the teenage perpetrator and co-defendant, Derek Trejo, engaged the 17-year-old sufferer in an argument on Jamaica Avenue that quickly grew to become bodily,” Queens District Legal professional Melinda Katz mentioned in an announcement.
“The teenage defendant produced a knife and stabbed Argudo within the torso. Regardless of the help of good Samaritans and first responders, Josue handed away a short while later,” Katz mentioned.
“The defendants had been remanded at their arraignments and the investigation into this callous act of violence is ongoing,” Katz mentioned. “We be a part of the household and buddies of Josue as they mourn his loss.”
