An alleged group member of the “green goblin” gang that attacked and robbed two 19-year-old girls on the New York City subway was freed without bail, further highlighting the Democrat-run state’s soft-on-crime policies.
Mariam Issouf, 26, of Queens, turned herself in Monday afternoon and was charged with second-degree robbery for her alleged involvement in the October 2 early morning assault on a Manhattan subway platform.
However, she was let go on supervised release on Tuesday and later exited the courtroom with her lawyer while covering her face with a leather jacket.
“She did nothing wrong,” said Issouf’s lawyer, John Russo, as they walked out together, according to the New York Post.
“My client attacked no one. She assaulted not one of the victims and is seen on videotape saying, ‘I want no part of this. Let’s go,’” Russo added.
Issouf was identified by the New York Police Department (NYPD) as one of the three suspects wearing neon green jumpsuits while attacking and robbing two teens.
According to the New York Daily News, Issouf and her assailants — now widely dubbed as the “green goblin gang” — were filming a TikTok video before bumping into the two 19-year-old girls on the train station platform, triggering a dispute between the two parties.
The altercation then got out of hand as it started turning violent, as Breitbart News reported:
The teens tried to enter [a] train car but were reportedly punched and pushed around by the green-suit women while bystanders watched passively.
The alleged assailants stole property from the victims, including a cell phone, assorted credit cards, a wallet, and other miscellaneous personal items before running away.
The wild scene was recorded on video by other bystanders and was widely shared on social media.
The NYPD is still searching for three other women allegedly involved in the attack, including Emily Soto, 34; Ciante Alston, 26; and Dariana Peguero, 26.
During a Friday press conference, Chief Police of Detectives James Essig noted that all four suspects have a criminal history — Peguero having been arrested nine times, Alston arrested three times, and Soto arrested twice.
Issouf has only been arrested once, according to Essig.
Following the attack, the mother of one of the victims slammed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) for the state’s soft policies on bail reform, the Post reported.
She told the outlet that the Democrat-run state is “making these ridiculous laws and letting savages walk the streets with nothing but a slap on the wrist.”
“Thankfully my daughter is here. It could have been so much worse,” the mother told the Daily News. “These people belong in cages.”
At the start of 2020, New York eliminated cash bail, which some have blamed for the crime wave that New York City is currently under.
According to NYPD crime statistics, major crime in the Big Apple has increased by 31.8 percent since this time last year as of October 9. Assaults are up by 15.1 percent, robbery is up 35.5 percent, and crime on the city’s transit system has jumped 41.4 percent.
Breitbart News recently reported that rising violent crime has emerged as a deciding issue for most American voters with the 2022 midterm elections approaching. Recent polling shows that 77 percent of voters believe violent crime is a serious issue.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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