By By Betsy Scheinbart
Six of the eight homicides in Jamaica''s 103rd Precinct this year have already been solved, the commanding officer of its detective squad said Friday.
There were eight homicides in the first six months of this year in the 103rd and only two remain unsolved, said Lt. Mark Giambalvo, who heads the detective squad.
The 103rd Precinct covers Jamaica, Hollis and parts of St. Albans.
The first homicide of the year occurred Jan. 4 in front of an apartment complex at 160-10 89th Ave. in Jamaica. “This was a crazy dispute over the slapping of a child,” Giambalvo said.
Sudan Stafford, 20, was arrested Jan. 6 and charged with murdering Thomas Nesbeitt, 40, Giambalvo said.
The Feb. 2 shooting of an armed robber by an off-duty corrections officer at the Hong Kong Kitchen at 109-16 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica was categorized as a justifiable homicide by the Queens district attorney, because the officer acted in self-defense, Giambalvo said.
Steven Longuefosse, 23, of 706 East 47th St. in Brooklyn, was shot dead by the corrections officer after robbing several patrons of the restaurant and turning his gun on the officer, police said.
On Feb. 3, Timothy Evans, 27, was stabbed to death in Apt. 6L of 91-35 193rd St. in Hollis after an apparent dispute over drugs, Giambalvo said.
Evans had prior convictions for narcotics and robbery, Giambalvo said.
John Lennon, 36, and his friends were allegedly using crack when they ran out of money and went to Evans, apparently looking for free drugs, Giambalvo said. Lennon was arrested soon afterwards and charged with the murder of Evans.
On March 9 at 11:15 p.m., Kadir Mohammed, 21, was discovered dead from a gunshot to the head and torso and slumped over his bed at his home at 138-46 91st Ave. in Jamaica, Giambalvo said. Mohammed had no criminal history.
No witnesses have come forward, but detectives have a suspect in Mohammed''s murder who is currently in prison on a different charge, Giambalvo said.
Giambalvo said the suspect and the victim knew each other and were probably involved in an argument before the shooting.
On April 14, at 4:40 a.m., a dispute over drugs at the corner of 107th Avenue and 160th Street in Jamaica resulted in murder. The location at the South Jamaica Houses is a known drug-dealing corner, Giambalvo said.
The victim, Aswald Walker, 28, who had a criminal record for dealing drugs, was shot once in the head and twice in the torso during the dispute, Giambalvo said.
Suspect Niheen Donigan, 21, who had a criminal record for gun possession and drugs, was identified by eyewitnesses at the shooting, Giambalvo said.
Detectives searched for a month and a half before tracking Donigan down in Massapequa, L.I. on May 24. Donigan barricaded himself in a house for four hours before surrendering to authorities, Giambalvo said. He was charged with Walker''s murder.
On April 21 at 7:20 p.m. livery cab driver Gurdev Lal, 56, of 49-16 99th St. in Corona was shot twice and killed as he drove his livery cab on 102nd Avenue in Jamaica, police said.
On April 27, detectives arrested Donald Thomas, 44, who had two prior convictions for drug dealing, said police and Betsy Hertzog, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
On May 14, detectives arrested a second suspect, Ronald Coleman, 45. Giambalvo said detectives suspect Coleman fired the shots that killed Lal, but both men have been charged with murder.
The law requires that if you cause a person''s death during the process of certain felonies, such as robbery, you are charged with “felony murder” even if you were not the one to pull the trigger.
On May 5, Tony Clarke, 30, was discovered dead from a gunshot to the head in his white Pontiac Aztec at 191st Street and Woodhull Avenue in Hollis, Giambalvo said.
Clarke was a known drug dealer and drugs were recovered from his car, so “we can only assume his death was narcotics-related,” Giambalvo said. Detectives were still investigating the murder.
The eighth homicide in the 103rd Precinct this year occurred June 8 during a robbery at the Crystal Curry Restaurant at 108-09 Jamaica Ave. Three suspects robbed about 11 restaurant patrons before one of them shot a customer and a diner stabbed one of the suspected robbers, Giambalvo said. All three fled the scene.
The victim, Ramidat Sinbudyal, 43, was shot once in the neck and died a day or two after the incident, Giambalvo said.
Three suspects, Johnny Smith, 16, Jose Perez, 16, and Matthew Scott, 17, were arrested by patrol officers and charged as adults with murder, Giambalvo said.
“This was a real good job done by patrol and the canine unit,” Giambalvo said. A police dog tracked the blood trail left by the suspect who was stabbed by a customer, Giambalvo said. It is not known which patron in the crowded restaurant stabbed the robber.
All the other murder arrests in the precinct this year were made by the 103rd Precinct Detective Squad, Giambalvo said.
Reach reporter Betsy Scheinbart by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300 Ext. 138.
