Southeast Queens man charged with murder for beating neighbor to death with chair: DA – QNS

A Jamaican man has been indicted by a Queens grand jury on murder and other charges for beating a 39-year-old neighbor to death with a chair last month.

Rahmel Tedder, 30, of 175th Street, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on Tuesday on five counts: murder, assault and other related offenses.

According to the indictment and charges, video surveillance footage allegedly shows Tedder approaching his neighbor, Michael Tobon, outside 90-25 175th Street at approximately 4:15 a.m. on July 26. The two got into an argument, and the verbal dispute escalated into violence when Tedder allegedly picked up a chair and struck Tobon in the head several times while he was lying face down on the ground.

Tedder covered the victim's body with a sheet and ran from the scene. He then placed the chair used in the fatal attack between garbage bags some distance away on 175th Street. He eventually returned to the scene before police from the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica arrived at the scene.

Officers found Tobon unconscious and seriously injured on the sidewalk. Emergency medical services took him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery for a traumatic brain injury and a skull fracture. He never regained brain function and died the next day from his injuries.

Tedder was arrested shortly after the fight at the intersection of 175th Street and 90th Avenue. According to the indictment, Tedder told investigators he hit the victim with the chair, which led to a charge of illegal possession of a firearm. He also told officers he hid the chair from police between garbage bags on the sidewalk, which led to a charge of tampering with evidence.

“The defendant allegedly attacked the victim while he was defenseless on the ground, striking him repeatedly in the head with a chair,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “Michael Tobon suffered a traumatic brain injury and died the following day from the injuries he sustained. Our thoughts are with the Tobon family as we pursue this case.”

Tedder was arraigned before Queens Supreme Court Judge Peter Vallone, who ordered him to appear in court on September 17. If convicted, Tedder faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.