Queens Driver Charged After Killing Teenager Who Rejected Lewd Advances [WATCH]

A 38-year-old man is facing murder charges after prosecutors said he intentionally drove onto a Queens sidewalk and killed a teenage girl who had rejected his sexual advances, as reported by The New York Post.

The suspect, identified as Edwin Cruz-Gomez, allegedly plowed a 2009 Chevy Suburban into 16-year-old Jhoanny Alvarez on Saturday morning outside Prima Donna Restaurant in Elmhurst.

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En Queens, Nueva York, Edwin Cruz-Gomez, de 38 años, fue acusado de homicidio en segundo grado tras arrollar y matar a la adolescente Jhoanny Alvarez, de 16 años, luego de que ella rechazara sus avances sexuales. El hecho ocurrió tras una pelea afuera de un restaurante.… pic.twitter.com/k7LxFcd4FP

— NOTICIAS ÚLTIMA HORA EN X (@ULTIMAHORAENX) September 15, 2025

Prosecutors revealed that after the collision, Cruz-Gomez chillingly asked police:

“Did I kill her?”

According to Assistant District Attorney Abigail Neumiller, Alvarez had just left the restaurant with her boyfriend, mother, and stepfather when Cruz-Gomez began harassing them.

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Neumiller told Queens Criminal Court during Sunday night’s arraignment that Cruz-Gomez, with a group of men nearby, made lewd statements including, “I want to have sex with you,” and, “If I gave you money, will you have sex with me?”

The comments led to a confrontation with Alvarez’s stepfather that turned physical before bystanders intervened. Prosecutors said Cruz-Gomez then got into his vehicle, which was double-parked on Roosevelt Avenue, and accelerated at a high speed.

Neumiller detailed that Cruz-Gomez drove the wrong way down a one-way street, swerved onto the sidewalk, and struck three of the four family members. Alvarez was pinned against a pole and killed. “The 16-year-old was hit so hard that she was impaled,” Neumiller said.

Saturday, September 13, 2025, at approximately 4:14 AM, police responded to Roosevelt Avenue and 91 Street, Queens, New York within the confines of the 115 Precinct and were told that a 38-year-old man identified as Edwin Gomez Cruz, operating a gray 2009 Chevy Suburban,… pic.twitter.com/1zmGEU6ySo

— Kyle Mazza (@KyleMazzaWUNF) September 15, 2025

Authorities said Cruz-Gomez continued in reverse against traffic, struck an unoccupied van, abandoned his SUV, and fled. He was later confronted by police, telling officers he had been assaulted.

Officers determined he was “extremely intoxicated,” with a blood alcohol level of 0.137 nearly four hours after the crash.

During questioning, Cruz-Gomez admitted to not having a license and told police:

“I was talking to a guy about a girl. It happened over here. I was driving. I hit a pole. Her boyfriend beat me up. I was talking to a guy about meeting girls. I may have said the wrong thing. I was upset. She was saying, ‘No fighting.’ I don’t know her. I got in my car. I followed them. I crashed my car into a pole. I was going 25 miles an hour. I don’t have a license. Did I kill her?”

Cruz-Gomez faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder, vehicular manslaughter, assault, and driving under the influence-related charges.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said:

“The defendant pinned the teen against a pole with his vehicle and injured her mother and stepfather as he barreled his 3-ton vehicle into them. This defendant is now charged with murder and related crimes, and we will seek justice for Alvarez and her family.”

Alvarez’s mother sustained leg injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

UPDATE: Man charged with m*rder after fatally mowing down 16-year-old girl on Queens sidewalk

Police say Edwin Cruz Gomez, 38, was drunk when he struck 16-year-old Jhoanny Gomez-Alvarez and her 32-year-old mother with his SUV

The incident happened around 4:15 a.m. outside a bar… pic.twitter.com/QrjVnOPCzP

— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) September 14, 2025

Court records show that earlier this year, Cruz-Gomez was charged with driving while intoxicated on the Southern State Parkway in Long Island.

His license was suspended following that January 26 arrest. Six months later, Nassau County police cited him for speeding and driving with a suspended license, after which he was granted a conditional license.

He had been scheduled to appear in Nassau County District Court next month for both cases.

On Sunday, Judge Lana Schlesinger ordered Cruz-Gomez to be held without bail and revoked his conditional license. He is scheduled to return to court on September 19. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

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