By Courtney Dentch
Candles, flowers, and signs adorned the front of the Laurelton Deli Saturday in solemn tribute to Ramon Adams, a longtime employee and Jamaica resident, who was fatally shot last week during a robbery.
Adams was shot three times in the chest while fending off a robber who jumped the counter and attacked him on Feb. 20, police said. Adams was taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital, where he died at 5:35 p.m., police said.
The robber, who was described as a black man between 25 and 30 years old and wearing a black jacket, ran from the scene with about $800 from the register, according to the 105th Precinct.
James Burke, 26, of Jamaica, was arrested Saturday afternoon in Rowan County, N.C., the Queens district attorney’s office said. Noel Torres, whose father owns the Laurelton Deli and who was working at the time of the robbery, had given police a description of the robber.
Adams, 34, had often worked an 80-hour week at the deli since moving to Jamaica from the Dominican Republic in 1993, said Frances Torres, whose husband owns the Laurelton Deli at 220-26 Merrick Blvd. He lived in Jamaica with his longtime girlfriend Brigida Paulino, Torres said.
Adams worked to support his four children, who range in age from 11 to 15 and live with Paulino’s mother in Moca in the Dominican Republic, Torres said.
The incident began when the robber entered the deli about 2:30 p.m. Feb. 20, Torres said. Her son, Noel, 21, was working with Adams, and told her the man had ordered a sandwich, paid and left. He immediately ran back into the deli, jumped through the Plexiglas displays on both sides of the register and began attacking Adams, Torres said.
“He probably went outside to see if anyone was coming,” she said.
Adams fought the assailant, Torres said.
“He shouldn’t have fought him,” she said. “He should have let him have what he wanted.”
The robber took money from the register, but Torres did not know the exact amount, she said.
Police rushed to the scene after Eloise Toomer, owner of Toomer Liquors next door to the deli, called 911. Toomer was alerted to the robbery by Noel Torres, she said.
“Noel ran through the door, hysterical, and said, “Call the cops,” and that’s what I did,” she said.
Toomer saw the robber running down Merrick Avenue as the police arrived, she said.
“As he disappeared around the corner a patrol car drove up,” Toomer added.
Neither she nor Noel knew that Adams had been shot until they saw him being taken to the ambulance on a stretcher, she said.
Although the robber fled the scene, Noel Torres identified Burke as the suspect from photographs at the police station, Frances Torres said.
Police sent a description of Burke and his car to law enforcement agencies along the East Coast after Torres made the identification. Burke was spotted in North Carolina while he stopped for gas.
Burke, who lives at 174-04 Polhemus Rd., has previous arrests for robbery and drug possession and was on parole at the time of the arrest, police said.
Adams was remembered as a hardworking employee and had been employed at the deli for the past nine years even though the Torres only bought the store three years ago, Frances Torres said.
“Ramon always stayed here, no matter who owned it,” she said.
Adams often worked 12 hour days, coming in around 9 a.m. and stayed until closing time, about 10 p.m., Toomer said.
“They’re going to miss him over there,” she said.
More than anything else, however, Adams was remembered as a friend, Frances Torres said.
“He was a nice guy,” she added. “No one could say anything bad about him.”
This was the second robbery at the deli in three years, said Frances Torres.
“This is basically a quiet neighborhood,” said Toomer, who is concerned crime may be rising in the area. “I don’t know what’s changed in just the past two months.”
Leon Brian, a Laurelton resident who lives a block from the deli, believes he knows what the problem is.
“You got a lot of young boys hanging around acting stupid,” he said.
But that’s no consolation to a community mourning the loss of a friend. A sign posted outside the deli captured the neighborhood emotion as it said goodbye to Adams.
“I no [sic] you are in a better place now and I no [sic] God will always make sure you are all right.”
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 138.
