By Gina Martinez
A Pennsylvania man has been arraigned on assault, conspiracy and other charges for his alleged role in the December 2015 slashing of a 16-year-old Whitestone girl, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Devon Berkley, 38, was extradited from Pennsylvania and arraigned Wednesday morning in Queens Supreme Court on an indictment charging him with assault, conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a weapon, Brown said. If convicted, Berkley faces up to 25 years in prison. He is due back to court on June 6, 2017,
Berkley’s co-defendant, 25-year-old Wilson Lai, of Oakland Gardens, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court in May 2016 and charged with same counts plus rape and a criminal sexual act which stemmed from his relationship with a 14-year-old girl. If found guilty, Lai could be sentenced to up to 32 years in prison.
According to the charges, Lai had a one-year sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl that began in June 2013. On December 16, 2015 Lai and Berkley allegedly mistook a Chinese exchange student who lived in the same house and was the same age for the intended target. The two men allegedly surprised the 16-year-old victim as she walked toward school and slashed her twice, leaving two long scars on the left side of her face, Brown said.
“Today’s defendant is accused of participating with another man in a heinous crime to physically assault a teenage girl without warning or provocation,” Brown said. “In what can only be described as a sick twist of fate, the victim slashed was actually a victim of mistaken identity. The two defendants allegedly meant to target another teenager, a 14-year-old girl with whom one of the defendants is alleged to have had a sexual relationship. Now, for the rest of her life, the victim must bear the physical and emotional scars brought about by the defendants’ alleged mistaken actions.”
Lai also allegedly worked with two unindicted co-conspirators on Jan. 4, 2016, and damaged a car belonging to the intended target’s family, according to the indictment. The car’s tires were punctured and other damage was inflicted on the body of the vehicle. During the incident, a note was allegedly left on the vehicle stating that the wrong girl was attacked and that the intended target was next, Brown said.
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart
