Man's hand severed by trash compactor at NYCHA complex: court documents
NEW YORK (PIX11) – A former NYCHA employee has been charged with reckless endangerment in connection to an incident where a man had his right hand severed at a Bronx NYCHA property back in May.
The New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) announced the defendant, 33-year-old Bronx resident Danique Brooks, was arrested on Tuesday.
"The defendant paid the victim to do dangerous work for which the victim was not trained, abandoned him after that work severed his right hand, and lied about her involvement in the incident on official records, as charged in the complaint," DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber said.
Brooks and another caretaker, 36-year-old Edward Fernandez, were employed at the J.P. Mitchel Houses when the incident occurred, according to an investigation. The two would contact the victim to perform maintenance duties in exchange for payments, authorities said.
The city agency had never employed the victim, and officials said he had never been trained to operate machinery on the property.
In May, Brooks allegedly asked the victim to operate a trash compactor in exchange for $20. Brooks and Fernandez left the victim to work, and a jam occurred while the man was operating the trash compactor. The compactor pressed the victim's hand, and he began screaming for help for several minutes before the caretakers returned, according to court documents.
Brooks and Fernandez could not find the reverse button for the trash compactor's motor, and when the machine began to work again, it revealed the victim's right hand had been severed from his arm. The caretakers walked the man outside, brought him to a curb, called 911, and left the victim alone on the sidewalk, officials said.
The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital, and the injuries resulted in the loss of his right hand.
After the incident, a NYCHA supervisor asked the two employees to write a report about it. Brooks and Fernandez provided conflicting accounts. A later investigation revealed inaccuracies and inconsistencies in Brooks' story. Brooks later admitted she had known the victim for years, and the man regularly helped in exchange for money. She also revealed that she called 911, officials said.
Brooks is facing the following charges:
- Offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree
- Falsifying business records in the first degree
- Reckless endangerment in the second degree
- Official misconduct, two counts
Officials said Fernandez, the other caretaker and codefendant, will be apprehended separately at a later date.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.