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City Development Commissioner Luiz Aragon was arrested and charged with second-degree harassment dating back to an incident on Friday, Oct. 25 in Trump Plaza, where he lives.
Aragon allegedly was caught on camera shouting at a security guard delivering newspapers. He is scheduled to be arraigned in New Rochelle City Court on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
In the video, Aragon can reportedly be seen demanding the security guard get off the elevator, stating that there was one elevator for staff members and one for residents. During the dispute, Aragon grabbed a cart of newspapers and forcibly threw it in a hallway, then pushed the security guard into the same hallway.
Aragon has alleged that the security guard used a homophobic slur - which the guard has denied - before he lost his cool and got physical. He has since apologized for the incident.
“We are aware of an incident involving a city staff member which occurred last week, off-site and outside of business hours," the city stated. "No further comment at this time.”
Aragon’s biography on the New Rochelle city website touts his role in the unprecedented downtown revitalization that has been ongoing for several years.
“Under his leadership, New Rochelle has been able to reposition itself as a leading transit-oriented development (TOD) destination in the tri-state area. In partnership with the City Council, Mr. Aragon has rezoned approximately 300 acres of the City’s downtown to accommodate over 10 million square feet of development. His accomplishments also include catalytic changes regarding our City’s branding and technology initiatives.”
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