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Yonkers police, migrants scuffle at hotel shelter
Two people were arrested at the Ramada Inn shelter in Yonkers, with officers claiming one of the migrants living at the hotel tried to strike them. The entire incident was caught on camera. FOX 5 NY's Richard Giacovas has the story.
YONKERS - Two people were arrested Tuesday afternoon at the Ramada Inn shelter in Yonkers, with officers claiming one of the migrants living at the hotel tried to strike them. The entire incident was caught on camera.
Bodycam video released by the Yonkers Police Department shows officers pulling up to the front entrance.
"A guy's over here unruly, he's getting very violent with everybody. He's throwing stuff at everybody. Send somebody here right away," an officer says on the 911 call released by police.
Once they go inside, they handcuff 35-year-old Arnal Kent.
(Yonkers Police Department)
In the video, police could be seen struggling to get Kent out of the hotel lobby. The arrest spills out into the parking lot, where another woman, identified as 24-year-old Yainilet Hernandez, can be seen trying to block police from putting Kent into the back of the patrol car.
(Yonkers Police Department)
According to police, they waited for things to calm down before attempting to arrest Hernandez. Police said Hernandez attempted to strike several officers after they arrested her for obstructing the arrest of Kent.
Multiple officers could be seen tackling her to the ground. In the struggle, police said one officer injured his knee and wrist and had to be placed off-duty.
(Yonkers Police Department)
Kent was charged with menacing, disorderly conduct, obstruction of governmental administration and resisting arrest. He was released with an appearance ticket.
While near the Ramada on Thursday, FOX 5 NY spoke to Kent, who happened to be sitting in a car across the street. Kent, who came from Venezuela in the fall, claimed he was and has been a target of hotel staff for months – and that he’s not the only one. He claimed the hotel staff mistreated him and other migrants.
Meanwhile, Hernandez was charged with assault, obstruction of governmental administration and resisting arrest. She was held on bail.
What we know about the migrant shelter
The NYC Department of Homeless Services relocated around 250 adults and children from the Big Apple to the Ramada Inn in Yonkers last May.
The program is run by DHS and Westhab. FOX 5 NY reached out to DHS, Westhab and the Ramada Inn for a response to the mistreatment allegation but haven’t heard back.
Police said they’ve been called to the hotel over 130 times in the past year – 911 calls made regarding issues with migrants who’ve been occupying rooms since last spring.