The man accused in the Times Square shooting that left a 4-year-old girl and two others wounded denied he was even in the Big Apple at the time — and claimed to be house hunting in Florida when he was arrested.
Farrakhan Muhammad, 31, who was busted Wednesday at a McDonald’s in the Sunshine State, told WCJB-TV that he was in New Jersey preparing to head south when the shooting happened just before 5 p.m. Saturday.
“I still don’t know nothing,” Muhammad told the station from Bradford County Jail. “I left New York a few days ago. I was in Jersey. I went to Jersey, took our two dogs with us. I packed our stuff up.”
The NYPD said Muhammad and his girlfriend, Kristine Vergara, 22, were nabbed while eating burgers and fries at the Mickey D’s in Starke, outside Jacksonville.
Muhammad claimed he was in Florida looking at homes to buy. US Marshals“The reason we were by the McDonald’s was we went to go check out an apartment. There was a home over there we were trying to buy,” Muhammad claimed.
“There was a Confederate flag up there. He said no women could stay there, that is why we didn’t get it. We parked by McDonald’s so we could eat McDonald’s real quick and that’s what happened.”
Members of the NYPD’s Crime Scene Unit collect evidence at the scene of the triple shooting last weekend. James KeivomAuthorities said Muhammad fled the Big Apple hours after the wild shooting in the Crossroads of the World, with sources saying they hit the road in an SUV with bogus New Jersey license plates.
But the illegal CD peddler claimed to be staying with Vergara’s family in Florida.
Muhammad has a long criminal history, according to records. Bradford County Court“We came out here. Her family says we could stay over here a few days. So we stayed,” Muhammad told the network.
Among those wounded in the gunplay was Skye Martinez, 4, who was hit in the leg while out buying toys with her family.
Kristine Vergara has also been charged as an accessory.
Dramatic surveillance and bodycam footage show the bloodied youngster being dashed to a nearby ambulance by NYPD cop Alyssa Vogel.
Records show that Muhammad already had a long criminal history.
Farrakhan Muhammad inside the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office after being arrested. Bradford County Sheriff's OfficeMuhammad is being held without bail in Florida on attempted second-degree murder charges and is awaiting extradition to New York.
Officer Alyssa Vogel, as shown by her bodycam, responds to the Times Square shooting last weekend. NYPDVergara is charged as an accessory. Bond in her case was set at $500,000, WCJB reported.
