By Adam Kramer
Although overall crime dropped 15.4 percent in the 105th Precinct over the past year, homicide cases rose at an alarming rate, the New York City Police Department statistics show.
The number of murders nearly doubled over the past year, increasing to 12 from seven in 1998.
Police said one of the murders was the Aug. 26 killing of Deborah Haynes by her husband as their children slept nearby in their 211th Street home in Queens Village. Harry Haynes was found dead later the next morning in Flushing Meadows Corona Park from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
On July 7, Dionne Desouze, 29, was found dead after being stabbed multiple times in her home at 250-11 139th Ave. in Rosedale The crime was linked to another murder in Brooklyn 30 minutes later, and Lionel King was charged with the attack, police said.
Ricco Sorey, 18, of 131-61 223rd St. in Laurelton died from a gunshot wound to the stomach on July 28, and Jason Faulkner, 18, of 131-11 222nd St., was charged with second-degree murder, authorities said.
The two were allegedly trying to rob Xin Deng Chinese Restaurant at 218-28A Merrick Blvd. in Laurelton.
Yu Yan Zheng was getting ready to close the restaurant in Laurelton at 12:10 a.m. with her husband Mou Chien Cheng, 54, and son Lin Dau Xiang when the two teens forced their way in through the rear door, said Officer Chris Iannone of the 105th Precinct.
In September, Nang Chung Chueng, 54, an employee of the Yit Wah Chinese Restaurant at 188-06 Jamaica Ave. in Hollis, was ambushed and killed by four men who asked for food to be delivered to 100-45 195th St., police said.
Two Hollis teenagers, Rami Merchant, 16, and Conrad Marhone, 17, were arrested for allegedly fatally striking Chueng on the head with a baseball bat, police said. Two others are still at large.
Preliminary statistics for 1999 released Monday track the seven major felony crimes in every precinct within the five boroughs. The categories are murder, rape, robbery, felonious assaults, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto.
The 105th Precinct, with headquarters at 92-08 222nd St. in Queens Village, covers eastern Queens including Glen Oaks, Floral Park, New Hyde Park and Bellerose to the north and Cambria Heights, Queens Village, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens and Rosedale to the south.
In keeping with the total drop in the overall crime rate, five out of the seven crime categories experienced a drop, compared with 1998 when all of the seven categories declined.
There were 47 rapes in 1999, compared with 52 for the same period in 1998
