SOUTH OZONE PARK, Queens (PIX11) — A Queens man remained in critical condition on Thursday, days after he tried to stop thieves from stealing his car.
Tauree Thompson, 28, left his Lexus SUV running on Monday night in a Taco Bell parking lot on Liberty Avenue, police said. Video shows three teens getting inside. Thompson, who’d been inside a store, ran out and tried to open the doors, then jumped on the SUV roof when he couldn’t get them to open.
The thief behind the wheel hit the gas and sped down Lefferts Boulevard as Thompson clung to the roof rack of his SUV, officials said. At some point the driver lost control and hit a fire hydrant near Liberty Avenue, flipping the SUV over onto its side.
Thompson went flying off and hit the ground. The three thieves climbed out of the SUV and took off, leaving Thompson behind in bad shape. When police arrived, Thompson was unconscious on the ground with severe trauma about the body.
Responding officers took two of the teens, both 15, into custody. They’ve been charged with assault, grand larceny auto, criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
The fire hydrant at the scene of the crash was still toppled over as of Thursday. Crime scene tape was tied around a tree behind it.
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).
