NEW YORK (PIX11) – A driver caught on camera backing up into a car on the Belt Parkway has been charged with staging the crash, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office.
Maikel Martinez, of Brooklyn, was accused of driving a silver Honda Civic that cut off Asphia Natasha's car in the left lane back on Oct. 16, officials said. The Honda Civic, seen in a video taken by Natasha's dashboard camera, then reversed into her vehicle.
Martinez and three others inside the Honda Civic held up a plastic tarp to the rearview window and switched their seating arrangement, according to officials. A woman got out of the driver's side, who Martinez told Natasha was his wife.
Two other people who got out of the Honda Civic, a man and a woman, have not been identified, officials said.
A red Kia Sport seen following Natasha's car pulled up in front of the Honda Civic. One of the unidentified occupants of the Honda Civic then got in the Kia Sport, which then left the scene, according to officials.
Martinez, 28, was taken into custody after he landed in New York on Thursday following a flight from Ecuador, officials said. He was charged with staging a motor vehicle accident, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, conspiracy and insurance fraud.
He could face between two to seven years in prison if convicted. The Honda Civic involved in the crash was seized by police on Oct. 24, according to the NYPD.
This is a developing story. Please refresh the page for updates.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
