By The TimesLedger
WOODHAVEN — A passerby who stumbled upon two bandits dragging a safe across 91st Street near Jamaica Avenue helped foil the robbery of a McDonald’s restaurant early Monday morning, police said.
A 28-year-old man was walking southbound on 91st Street shortly after 4 a.m. Monday when he noticed two men dressed in black who appeared to be in their mid-20s hauling a safe northbound on 91st Street at the rear of a McDonald’s restaurant, police said.
The pedestrian was then approached by a third man who pointed a handgun at him and said, “You didn’t see nothing. Keep walking,” police said.
The three men then fled north on foot on 91st Street, leaving the safe behind, police said. The safe and two hand trucks were recovered by police on 91st Avenue.
Upon investigation, it was determined the thieves entered the McDonald’s at 91-01 Jamaica Ave. by forcing open a rear door. External alarm wires, as well as most of the internal camera wires had been cut and the safe had been removed from the rear door, police said.
Police were continuing with an investigation.
Woodhaven gunman robs patron in donut shop
WOODHAVEN — A lone gunman stole $1,600 from a patron at a Jamaica Avenue Dunkin’ Donuts shop before removing an unknown amount of money from the store’s cash registers early Tuesday morning, police said.
Store employees told police a Hispanic man walked into the store, located at 92-17 Jamaica Ave., shortly after 2 a.m. via a door on Woodhaven Boulevard, and fired a single shot behind the counter, police said.
After firing the shot, the suspect turned to a customer and said, “Yo, my man, come here and give me your money,” police said. He then took $1,600 from the patron before forcing the store’s two owners to open the cash registers, police said.
The victim fled on foot northbound on Woodhaven Boulevard, police said. There were no injuries or arrests.
Police were in possession of a video surveillance tape showing the suspect entering the store and were continuing with an investigation.
Astoria rapist sentenced to 15 years in prison
ASTORIA — A rapist who was caught after responding to a call on his victim’s cell phone was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the sexual attck in Astoria last year, the Queens district attorney said.
Samuel Cuspert, 29, of the Bronx, had pleaded guilty in February to first-degree rape before Queens Supreme Court Justice Joseph Grosso, who imposed the sentence.
Cuspert raped and sodomized his victim on April 25, 2001, by overpowering her in her building’s vestibule while pressing a corkscrew against her neck, DA Richard Brown said.
But he returned to the scene after the victim called him on her cell phone, which he had stolen, the DA said. He was immediately apprehended by police.
Two armored cars robbed in Sunnyside
SUNNYSIDE — A pair of armored cars were robbed last Thursday in Sunnyside, police said.
Two thieves approached the guards for the armored cars as they left a building at 47th Avenue and 46th Street, and held them at gunpoint, police said.
The robbers then got into the armored cars with the guards and forced them to drive to 45th Street and Greenpoint Avenue where they fled with an unknown amount of money, police said.
No one was injured and no arrests have been made, police said. An investigation is ongoing.
Woman raped, robbed at gunpoint in Astoria
ASTORIA — A woman was raped at gunpoint in Astoria Sunday morning, police said.
The victim, 25, was forced into a backyard and raped by a man in his 20s, police said. The attacker stole the woman’s bank card, watch and cash before fleeing the scene, police said.
The woman was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center and treated and released, police said. No arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing, they said.
Man collapses, dies in Astoria laundromat
ASTORIA — A man collapsed and died in the bathroom of an Astoria laundromat Saturday, police said.
The victim, 36, whose name was not released, was discovered dead at the Wash World Laundromat at 31-11 31st St. at about 6 a.m. Saturday, police said.
There were no signs of trauma, police said. The city medical examiner was to determine the cause of death.
Swastika etched inside Woodhaven elevator
WOODHAVEN — A swastika was found etched in the elevator wall of a Woodhaven building Friday morning, police said.
The swastika was discovered at 84-25 85th Rd., police said. No arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing, they said.
Man dies of unknown cause in Kew Gardens
KEW GARDENS — A man was found not breathing in Kew Gardens Tuesday and later died, police said.
The victim, 28, was discovered at about 2 a.m. inside 119-37 Metropolitan Ave. and was taken to Jamaica Hospital where he died less than an hour later, police said.
The city medical examiner was to determine the cause of death.
Man fleeing accident dies after causing another
OZONE PARK — An Ozone Park man was killed Tuesday when his minivan struck another car at 3:41 p.m. as he was fleeing the scene of an accident, police said.
Walter Peraza, 23, of 115-13 103rd Ave., was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m. at Jamaica Hospital, police said.
Peraza had been fleeing the scene of an accident in his 1992 Mazda MPV minivan when he ran into another van that was stuck in traffic at 126-01 107th Ave., police said.
The driver of the second vehicle, Cecil Gunra, 48, of Hempstead, NY, was also taken to Jamaica Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.
Gunmen net $30,000 during cash delivery
RICHMOND HILL — Two masked gunmen interrupted an Atlantic Avenue cash pickup by an armored truck company, stealing nearly $30,000 Monday evening, police said.
The suspects, one armed with a handgun and the other with a shotgun, entered a business at 89-18 Atlantic Ave. just before 6 p.m., disrupting a pickup of $29,213 in cash, police said.
The suspects, wearing black masks, ordered the store manager and armored car employee to lay on the ground at gunpoint, where they were handcuffed, police said.
As one suspect discharged a round from a shotgun into the floor, the other removed a .357 Magnum handgun from the armored car employee, police said.
The perpetrators fled with the gun and the cash, police said.
Death of man attacked in June reclassified as homicide
SOUTH OZONE PARK — The December death of a man who had been struck with a hammer in June has been ruled a homicide due to complications from the original injury, police said.
Ralph Howe, 67, was hit in the head with a hammer on June 4 at 146-12 123rd St., police said. Six months later, on Dec. 7, he was discovered dead in his home.
The Medical Examiner’s office has determined that the cause of death resulted from complications following blunt trauma to the head, and the case has been reclassified a homicide, police said.
No. 7 subway derailment spurs massive delays
LONG ISLAND CITY — An early morning derailment of three subway cars on the No. 7 train Monday led to service delays throughout the day but resulted in no injuries, a spokesman for NYC Transit said.
Service was suspended between Times Square and Queens Plaza when three cars at the end of a full Manhattan-bound train went off the track at 6:15 a.m. immediately after leaving the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue station, said NYC Transit spokesman Mark Groce.
The passengers evacuated through the station, Groce said. Service resumed along one tunnel at 8:10 a.m., but the trains did not resume full operation until 4:50 p.m., Groce said.
Teen found dead in bed, cause undetermined
FRESH MEADOWS — A teenager was found dead in his bedroom in Fresh Meadows Sunday morning, police said.
Eaton Weinberg, 19, was found dead lying face-up in bed by his parents, police said.
The city Medical Examiner has yet to determine the cause of death.
Jamaica gunfight hospitalizes two
SOUTH JAMAICA — Two men were injured during an apparent gunfight in South Jamaica Saturday morning, police said.
One man, 20, was shot in the shoulder at 120-02 Sutphin Blvd. at about 10 a.m. and taken to Jamaica Hospital, police said.
At noon Saturday, a second man came to Jamaica Hospital with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Both victims were in stable condition, police said.
Man survives shot in head, shooter remains at large
SOUTH JAMAICA — A man was shot in the back of the head Friday night in South Jamaica, police said.
The victim, 22, was shot from behind at 147-35 Arlington Terrace at about 11:30 p.m., police said. Police said the shooter and the motive for the attack were unknown.
The victim was taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital in stable condition, police said. No arrests have been made.
Unattended death ruled a homicide
HAMMELS — A 56-year-old Hammels woman who was found unconscious by a relative at 6:57 p.m. Monday and pronounced dead on the scene was determined by the medical examiner to have been killed , police said.
Brenda Kelly, of 81-01 Beach Channel Dr., was pronounced dead in her home by EMS, police said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Rockaway woman jumps to her death
ROCKAWAY PARK — A 39-year-old woman died early Wednesday after she apparently jumped from a window on Ocean Promenade near 120th Street at 4:30 a.m., police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
