'You don't put a hand on a police officer anywhere in the state of New York and get away with it,' Hochul said
Gov. Hochul criticizes decision to release migrants who attacked NYPD: ‘I want judges to hold people’
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the decision was frustrating and the perpetrators should have been held on bail.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the group of migrants who attacked New York Police Department (NYPD) officers near Times Square should be prosecuted and criticized the decision to release some of them without bail.
During a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC, the Democrat said she believes several of the suspects fled the state on a bus to California following the "abhorrent act."
"Anyone who thinks they should have been let loose, I have a big disagreement with," she said.
Hochul claimed she has worked hard to change the bail laws in New York state and that the migrants involved in the attack should have been held, considering their crimes were "bail eligible."
ILLEGAL MIGRANT FLIPS MIDDLE FINGERS AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH ATTACKING NYPD IN TIMES SQUARE
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said migrants who attacked NYPD officers should not have been released without bail. (Photo illustration) (MSNBC/Screenshot/NYPD)
"The district attorney's maybe bringing new charges, but it's frustrating. It never should have happened. And you don't put a hand on a police officer anywhere in the state of New York and get away with it," she continued.
When asked why the migrants were released and if the system had simply broken down, Hochul urged the network to ask Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Hochul said Bragg and his office told her they were not immediately clear on the perpetrators, considering the chaos and the number of people involved.
"They want to make sure they have the right person. But you can hold these people while you're still investigating. You don't let them out. And so you ask for bail," she added.
The New York governor also shot down the idea of swiftly deporting the migrants involved in the crime and claimed she was worried whether they would ever face consequences in their country of origin.
"I want them to go through the justice system. I want them to be prosecuted. I want them convicted. I want them to do time in jail," Hochul said.
She also addressed police officers who feel that criminals are operating with impunity and being released out onto the street despite repeat offenses. Hochul said she wants law enforcement to have the proper tools and resources to keep citizens safe and not feel demoralized.
NYC MIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING POLICE FLEE TO CALIFORNIA UPON RELEASE: REPORT
Several migrant NYPD beating suspects were arrested in Phoenix, Arizona. (ICE source to Fox News)
"We support our law enforcement. We want to make sure that they have what they need. And when a situation occurs, that is so disgusting. What happened to those officers in Times Square? We stand up and say that was wrong. We will catch them and I want them to sit in jail. So I want [the police] to know we have their backs," Hochul said.
Several of the migrants suspected of beating New York City police officers were arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, Fox News confirmed Monday night.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement sources told Fox News that the migrants allegedly involved in the mob beating of NYPD officers were arrested Monday evening by ICE and Homeland Security Investigations at a Greyhound bus station in Phoenix. They did not immediately release the names of those arrested.
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Darwin Andres Gomez, 19, Kelvin Servita Arocha, 19, Wilson Juarez, 21, and Yorman Reveron, 24, fled for California after being released without bail. Jhoan Boada, 22; Jandry Barros, 21, and Yohenry Brito, 24, were later apprehended.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
"We now have additional video surveillance that was not available at the time of arraignment and are continuing to speak to witnesses in order to determine the specific role of each defendant," the DA's office said in a statement.
Fox News' Landon Mion, Bill Melugin and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.
Nikolas Lanum is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
