Migrant woman arrested after slapping NYPD cop with ‘an open hand’ for trying to confiscate her unregistered motorbike

Baibaia Rodriguez, 20, was arrested and charged with resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration and harassment

Published on: Sep 3, 2023, 08:50:23 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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A migrant woman was reportedly arrested after she slapped a New York Police Department officer who was attempting to confiscate her unregistered motorbike. The incident took place this week in front of a Manhattan shelter for asylum-seekers.

A video showed several people engaged in an altercation with cops while trying to conduct a scooter crackdown at West 71st Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side, near the Stratford Arms Hotelsuman. The hotel is being used as a migrant shelter.

“Get back! Get back,” an officer can be heard saying, warning the crowd, in a clip shared by New York Post. He then moved a man onto the sidewalk, away from the bike, saying, “Bro, you’re going to get arrested.”

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Baibaia Rodriguez was arrested and charged with resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration and harassment after she “hit an officer with an open hand,” around 10:30 pm, police said.

Baibaia had been previously arrested in July for felony assault for allegedly attacking her boyfriend in a Bronx apartment. At present, she was living at the Stratford Arms, according to police.

Several Stratford Arms neighbours, including Lady Gaga’s father Joe Germanotta, have raised concerns over its new residents to city officials. They have accused the residents of inundating the area with trash and drugs. The residents have also been accused of public disturbances.

“The worst part’s at night. The noise. It starts at about 10 o’clock, and it’ll go until 4 in the morning. Playing music and racing their motocross and motorbikes up and down the streets,” 66-year-old Joe said last month.

Police confirmed that this week's scooter crackdown came after “community complaints.” Four mopeds, one motorcycle and one scooter were confiscated by the NYPD, along with nine bicycles that were illegally “chained to a pole,” according to West Side Rag.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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