A would-be thief died after a confrontation with a Queens car owner who put him in a choke hold, police said yesterday.
Yaosse Agbokou, 50, allegedly tried to take the car when the owner left it unattended for a moment after digging it out of the snow.
Daillard Paris had been clearing the snow outside his St. Albans home at about 10 p.m. Saturday when he briefly walked away.
When he came back, he spotted Agbokou, a cabdriver who lived nearby, behind the wheel of the 2005 Nissan Altima, cops said.
Paris pulled him from the car, punched him and put him in a headlock, said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne.
Police received a 911 call reporting a fight in progress, and arrived to find Agbokou on the ground.
He was alive but semiconscious.
As cops began to cuff Agbokou, he lost consciousness, sources said
He was rushed to Queens Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Following an autopsy, the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.
Police said it would be up to Queens DA Richard Brown to file charges.
A spokeswoman last night said the Brown was investigating the case.
Agbokou’s neighbors said they were shocked to hear that the Togolese immigrant was believed to have been trying to steal a car.
“He’s a hardworking guy,” said Harold Gennot. “Not a bad guy.”
Another neighbor, Bernard Fort, said, “That’s crazy. This is totally unacceptable. It’s totally shocking.”
Additional reporting by Larry Celona and Reuven Fenton