Man violently attacked outside his Queens home: NYPD

SOUTH OZONE PARK, Queens (PIX11) — Husband and father Harbhajan Ghotra, 42, said the situation between him and several of his younger neighbors went from bad to worse after he took issue with them allegedly making noise and drinking right outside his home in South Ozone Park, Queens .

The very next afternoon – last Thursday – Ghotra said he walked out of his house to file a formal complaint at the 106th precinct, only to be beaten up on the sidewalk.

He told PIX11 News his attackers were the very same men from the night before.

Ghotra said they fled before police and EMS arrived but left him with bruises and a deep laceration on his head. A wound deep enough that it required stitches at Jamaica Hospital.

The NYPD confirmed the assault, but because the suspects fled the scene, responding officers were not able to make any arrests.

Ghotra said his assailants are familiar faces and added he now fears for his and his family’s safety.

“Yeah, they live in the house over there. And two people over there in the basement,” said Ghotra.

So, PIX11 News went to speak with neighbors at both of those multi-family homes.

“Other people – i don’t know anything about there. I don’t know why they beat him up. Maybe it’s his fault,” said Harry, who answered the door a few houses down the block.

“We don’t know anything about that because we heard some noises. I think someone was drunk, and he was shouting outside,” Another neighbor across the street, Arwinder, told PIX11 News.

Sikh community advocate Japneet Singh said Ghotra and his family are now trapped and financially unable to escape what he describes as a volatile, unsustainable situation with those neighbors.

“This is an affordable space for them at this moment in time. If they really can’t feel safe in the next couple of weeks, then that might be the only option,” said Singh.

“They said we’re going to kill you and your family if we don’t do it now; wherever we find you, we’re going to do it next time. [I’m] feeling very anxious right  now. Every time [I] speak, he says my head hurts,” Ghotra added.

Ghotra said he’s apprehensive about his wife’s and two children’s safety.

An NYPD spokesperson said the department is absolutely still investigating this assault.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org , downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

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