A 68-year-old grandmother in Queens was attacked and left with a fractured skull after being pushed down the stairs of her local church by a teenager who then robbed her. The woman, Irene Tahliambouris, has little memory of the incident and believes that she may have done something wrong to deserve the attack. Her son, Freddy Tahliambouris, is calling for the teenager, Jayvaun Prince, to be charged as an adult for the violent crime. Prince was awaiting arraignment after attempting suicide following his arrest.
Freddy Tahliambouris believes that Jayvaun Prince needs to be held accountable as an adult for his actions, as he is behaving in a manner that is far beyond his age. Prince has a history of criminal behavior, including multiple arrests for robbery and assault. There are questions about why Prince was released after previous arrests, especially given the severity of his crimes. The attack on Irene Tahliambouris was captured on video, showing Prince stealing from her before fleeing the scene in her car.
The son of the victim is struggling to cope with the brutality of the attack on his mother and cannot bring himself to watch the video of the incident. Irene Tahliambouris is recovering at home but has little memory of what happened. The family is hoping for a full recovery, but the long-term prognosis is uncertain. They are praying for her to regain full mobility and return to her normal state. Freddy Tahliambouris believes that his mother, who was known for her kindness, would have willingly given her purse to her attacker if he had just asked for it.
The case has sparked outrage and calls for changes to the criminal justice system to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Detective Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo has criticized laws that raise the age for which children can be prosecuted as adults, stating that the system is failing to protect the public. There are concerns about the repeated offenses committed by Jayvaun Prince and the lack of consequences for his actions. The community is shocked by the violence displayed by a teenager and is calling for accountability and justice for the victim.
