A disturbing encounter between a Manhattan assistant district attorney and a Venezuelan migrant with alleged gang connections unfolded in a residential building near Midtown.
According to the New York Post, Brandon Simosa, 25, was arrested Tuesday night outside the Row Hotel migrant shelter for allegedly robbing one of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's prosecutors after she discovered him engaging in lewd behavior in her apartment building.
The incident occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday when the 38-year-old assistant district attorney returned to her 44th Street residence. Upon encountering Simosa allegedly performing a lewd act in the hallway, the prosecutor dropped her phone, which the suspect then seized before fleeing the scene.
Simosa, who also uses the name Brandon Jesus Simoza Seijas, initially entered the United States illegally through Eagle Pass, Texas, in October 2023. Border patrol agents detained him but later released him with instructions to appear before an immigration judge in New York City.
A judge dismissed his removal proceedings case in February 2024, effectively halting active deportation efforts. The circumstances surrounding this decision remain unclear, but the ruling left Simosa without any pending immigration applications.
During his time in New York City, Simosa has accumulated a significant criminal record. Since January 2024, he has been arrested six times for various offenses, including domestic assault, grand larceny, and transit fare evasion.
The suspect currently faces multiple open cases, including the recent November 11 arrest for a Times Square CVS theft that occurred in April. Additional pending cases involve grand larceny at the Queens Center Mall and a robbery at a Flushing supermarket.
Law enforcement sources indicate that Simosa had been residing in taxpayer-funded migrant shelters, with one of his previous addresses listed at a shelter in Queens. The city's sanctuary status prevented local authorities from notifying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about his arrests.
Prior to this latest incident, Simosa was scheduled to appear before a Queens judge on Thursday regarding a guilty plea from an earlier arrest. The Manhattan incident has now resulted in new charges, including sexually motivated robbery, grand larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property.
Police successfully traced the stolen phone to the vicinity of the Row Hotel migrant shelter, leading to Simosa's arrest on Tuesday night. Witnesses observed him smirking as officers led him away in handcuffs before his arraignment on Wednesday.
The case has drawn attention to the broader issues surrounding migrant-related crimes in New York City. Simosa's alleged connection to Tren de Aragua, a notorious prison gang, adds another layer of complexity to the investigation.
Neither the Manhattan nor Queens District Attorney's offices have provided official comments on the case. The investigation continues as authorities work to process the multiple charges against the suspect.
The incident involving Brandon Simosa and the Manhattan ADA has exposed intersecting challenges in law enforcement and immigration policy. The 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant faces serious charges after allegedly robbing a prosecutor outside her apartment building following a lewd act. As Simosa awaits arraignment, authorities must address both his current charges and his previous open cases while navigating the complexities of New York City's sanctuary status policies.
