He auto been in jail
Bridge suspect was set free with no bail
A Queens man who was allegedly caught trying to flee police in a stolen car on the RFK Bridge on Sunday had been busted weeks earlier in another car he allegedly swiped — but was released without bail in that case, The Post has learned.
Josue Viorato, 21, was allegedly nabbed behind the wheel of a stolen blue 2020 BMW on Nov. 8, only to be cut loose the next day because the charges didn’t qualify for bail under the state’s criminaljustice reform statute.
In that case, the BMW’s owner said he had left the car running in his Brooklyn driveway shortly before 4:30 p.m. when it was stolen, according to a criminal complaint.
The owner activated a tracking device in the car and found Viorato and two others “searching the passenger compartment and trunk” of the vehicle, the complaint said.
Viorato allegedly jumped behind the wheel and sped off when the Beemer’s owner approached, the papers said.
Viorato was arraigned on Nov. 9 on charges of third-degree grand larceny, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property and other charges, court records show.
A spokesperson for the Queens District Attorney’s Office said on Monday that prosecutors could not seek bail because the charges fell under the bail-reform law.
Viorato is due back in court on that case on Jan. 19.
This past weekend, he was busted again after police said he drove a 2021 Acura — which was reported stolen the day before — onto the Robert F. Kennedy
Bridge.
Police converged on the vehicle on the busy span at around 12:50 p.m. when Viorato allegedly tried to get away by backing up and ramming into a car, which clipped a state trooper, cops said.
The trooper fired several rounds from his service weapon at the fleeing vehicle.
Authorities said that the trooper was treated for a minor leg injury and that no one was struck by the gunfire.
Viorato and a 17-year-old passenger, whose name was not released due to his age, were later arrested and were awaiting arraignment on Monday.
Viorato is charged with vehicular assault and reckless endangerment in the incident.