A violent incident in Ridgewood, Queens, escalated when two women assaulted a 21-year-old driver for attempting to remove trash cans blocking a public parking space. The attack, captured on video, led to the arrest of Andreea Dumitru and Sabrina Starman, who are alleged to have punched the victim repeatedly and caused substantial harm.
The dispute originated when the victim, Jada McPherson, attempted to clear the parking spot by removing trash cans that had been placed to block it. A man was heard shouting, ‘Stop touching my stuff!’ as he placed the garbage cans back on the curb, according to Fox 5 New York. The victim responded with, ‘I just got home from work! I don’t want to circle the block five times looking for a parking spot because this [expletive] was holding it with a garbage can,’ the outlet reported.
Video footage shows the moments leading up to the altercation, with the 21-year-old driver attempting to remove the trash cans. Starman lunged at the woman and began throwing punches, while Dumitru and an unidentified man joined in by hitting the victim and pulling her hair as she curled up defensively. A bystander with a cane was also heard yelling as the scuffle escalated.
Police arrested Dumitru and Starman at the scene, and the victim was treated for her injuries on-site, authorities said. The incident has sparked widespread anger in the community, with neighbors reporting that tensions over the parking spot had been simmering for years. Social media users on a Reddit post titled ‘The fight over the parking spot finally happened’ claimed that the individuals involved routinely used trash cans and traffic cones to illegally hold street parking for hours while they were away. A former resident on the thread noted, ‘Sometimes those trash cans will be there for three hours reserving the spot.’ The person who filmed the altercation stated, ‘It’s been going on for years. The whole family does it, today someone finally had a breaking point.’
While the attack occurred on Monday, the underlying disputes had long been a source of contention in the neighborhood. The incident has raised concerns about public safety and the enforcement of parking regulations in urban areas. Authorities have since confirmed the arrests and are reviewing the case to determine further legal consequences for the accused.