Michael Kemper, traffic chief for the New York Police Department, honored two heroic migrants on Tuesday who rescued a woman in Queens last month from a dangerous criminal who attacked her with a knife.
Photo by Dean Moses
NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper on Tuesday honored two heroic migrants who rescued a woman in Queens last month from a dangerous criminal who attacked her with a knife.
Alexander Oswaldo Robles Lino and Josnan Alberto Palacios of Venezuela arrived at One Police Plaza with their families and tears in their eyes on August 20. Both men are new to the United States and came here to provide a better life for their families.
According to police, it didn’t take long for the two men to prove that their presence made America a better country.
On July 28, a 23-year-old woman was allegedly confronted at knifepoint by 24-year-old Contreras Randol at the Jamaica-Van Wyck station in Richmond Hill, who allegedly demanded money. When the victim told him she didn’t have any cash, he stabbed her multiple times, according to police.
Robles Lino and Palacios, who witnessed the attack, gave chase when Randol allegedly tried to flee. They threw him to the ground in the street and held him until police arrived.
“I saw the body camera footage of the first officer on the scene. I observed a sergeant running toward the commotion, and what he saw was the bad guy on the ground and Jocelyn and Alexander guarding him,” Chief Kemper said. “Despite the initial language barrier between these men and the officers, I can assure you that kindness and decency need no translation.”
While the victim recovered in the hospital, Randol faced a number of charges, including attempted murder, robbery, assault and menacing.
Robles Lino and Palacios are now being celebrated as heroes. In recognition of their efforts, the NYPD presented the two men with awards on August 20.
Chief Kemper even went so far as to address the negative press some Venezuelan asylum seekers have received in recent years due to gang-related crime.
“When you’re dealing with hundreds of thousands of people, unfortunately there are going to be some people, a small percentage, that are not here for the right reasons,” Chief Kemper said. “That’s not the norm, that’s the norm, and that’s why we’re happy to recognize what they did and what they did.”
After receiving his award, Palacios told the New York Metro through a translator that he hoped his actions would help change attitudes toward migrants, especially those from Venezuela.
“Now it’s clear that there are people with good intentions and good hearts,” Palacios explained. “Ultimately, this has to come to light so that everyone can see that everyone is equal.”
Robles Lino also commented on the noble rescue. When asked why he left his children with a friend and chased a knife-wielding attacker who could have fatally injured him, the answer was simple: to save a life.
“At that moment, you don’t think about acting, you just do it,” said Robles Lino. “Thank God we acted at that moment so we could prevent the girl’s death.”
Deputy Commissioner Carlos Nieves also stressed that the two men had not only saved a life, but had also proven to the country that good people emigrate to the Big Apple.
“Not everyone comes to the United States with the intention of committing crimes. We have hard-working, decent people like these men and their families. And they got involved in something that was unnecessary,” Nieves said.
