Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. today announced the guilty plea of ANGEL MELENDEZ, 53, for fatally striking Nadjari Reid and injuring a pedestrian in 2024 after driving recklessly and running a red light in East Harlem. MELENDEZ pleaded guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Assault in the Third Degree and Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree. He is expected to be sentenced to 4 ½ – 13 ½ years on February 24, 2026.
“This was a horrific instance of vehicular violence, and my thoughts continue to be with Mr. Reid’s loved ones. This type of reckless driving– swerving in and out of traffic lines at high speeds – can have deadly consequences. As today’s guilty plea demonstrates, we will hold drivers accountable when they endanger public safety and harm New Yorkers.”
As admitted in the defendant’s guilty plea and according to court documents and statements made on the record, the incident occurred on July 29, 2024, at approximately 3:40 p.m., when MELENDEZ was speeding up 1st Avenue between East 96th Street and 105th Street, veering between the left and right lanes, and swerving to narrowly avoid cars and pedestrians. He struck one woman’s shopping cart, and narrowly missed hitting her and other pedestrians along the way…