Nine people, eight of whom were firefighters, reported minor injuries when acid began leaking from the first…
By The TimesLedger
JAMAICA – About 75 firefighters responded to a hazardous materials situation at a New York Police Department crime laboratory Tuesday afternoon.
Nine people, eight of whom were firefighters, reported minor injuries when acid began leaking from the first floor of the police lab at 150-14 Jamaica Ave. just before noon Tuesday, said Firefighter James Spollen. The leak was caused by a container failure, and the substance spread to the basement and onto electrical boxes, police said.
About 300 people were evacuated from the building, and Con Edison was called to shut off the power, police said.
Emergency personnel stayed on the scene until 7 p.m., when the Fire Department declared the building safe. A private vendor was hired to clean up the spill and remove the material, police said.
NBA star from Queensbridge charged with violating order
KEW GARDENS — Former St. John’s basketball star Ron Artest appeared in Queens Criminal Court Tuesday to face harassment charges in a dispute with an ex-girlfriend, a spokeswoman for Queens DA Richard Brown said.
Artest’s ex-girlfriend received an order of protection against him in May and then filed a complaint last month that claimed he violated the order by making threatening phone calls, published reports said.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Deborah Stevens Modica extended the order of protection until Artest’s next court appearance in September, the New York Post reported.
The hoops star turned himself into the 108th Precinct July 1 and was arraigned later that day on charges of criminal contempt, harassment and aggravated harassment, the DA’s spokeswoman said.
Artest, 22, grew up in the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City and played basketball for St. John’s University before joining the NBA. He was recently traded to the Indiana Pacers. His ex-girlfriend is the mother of his 16-month-old son.
Auburndale store fire brought under control
AUBURNDALE — An electrical fire broke out in the basement of a Northern Boulevard store Tuesday afternoon, but no one was injured, a spokesman for the Fire Department said.
Firefighter James Spollen said 60 firefighters responded to the blaze at 194-13 Northern Blvd. at about 4:20 p.m. and the one-alarm fire was under control by 5:40 p.m.
Two arrested after scuffle with Fresh Meadows cop
FRESH MEADOWS — Two men were arrested in Fresh Meadows Saturday after they allegedly tried to rob an undercover police officer in a parking garage in the 107th Precinct, police said.
Shawn Bradford, of 67-16 Parsons Blvd. in Pomonok, allegedly approached the officer, whose name was not released, at his car about 7:30 p.m., police said. The suspect was allegedly carrying a .32 caliber gun and engaged in a scuffle with the officer, police said.
Bradford, 37, allegedly fled from the fight to a waiting BMW driven by Terry Davis, 33, of Amityville, L.I., and the officer radioed a description of the vehicle to police, they said.
The men were arrested about a half hour later at Francis Lewis Boulevard and Horace Harding Boulevard, police said.
Flushing man charged with smuggling crabs
BROOKLYN — A Flushing man has been charged with illegally bringing in exotic crabs through Kennedy Airport, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Fuyi Ge, 43, smuggled 1,350 Briocheir Sinensis, or mitten crabs, in November 2001, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn said in a criminal complaint.
Ge was released on $50,000 bond, said federal prosecutor Joseph Lipton. If convicted, Ge could serve five years in prison, Lipton said.
Native to China, mitten crabs have been designated by the United States as injurious wildlife because they can impair fisheries and increase the risk of flooding and erosion. The crabs are a coveted delicacy in many Asian countries.
Ge imported the crabs through his import and export business based in his home at 33-55 Farrington St., prosecutors said in the complaint.
The crabs were then sold at the Great Wall Supermarket in Flushing at $38.88 a pound, prosecutors said.
Man killed by car along Whitestone Expy.
WHITESTONE — A man in his 60s was found dead along a Whitestone Expressway service road around 1 a.m. Wednesday after having possibly been struck by a vehicle, police said.
Although there were no witnesses to the incident, a passerby had noticed the man in the street on the northbound service road at 20th Avenue, police said.
His injuries were consistent with having been struck by a vehicle, police said.
The victim was not identified. The medical examiner was to determine the cause of death.
July 4 Rockaway pilots lose licenses to fly: FAA
FAR ROCKAWAY – The Federal Aviation Administration revoked the licenses of two Florida pilots last week for allegedly flying dangerously low over a Rockaway beach July 4, a spokeswoman from the agency said.
Andre Morais and Daniel Oliveira, who fly planes that pull banner advertisements, were also charged by Queens District Attorney Richard Brown earlier this month with flying recklessly on a day of heightened security in the United States because of terrorist threats.
The men, who are employed by an aerial advertising company based near Miami, are awaiting trial in Queens, Brown said.
Robber gets $700 in Hollis bank heist
HOLLIS — A Chase Bank on Hillside Avenue in Hollis was robbed Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Police said the thief entered the bank at 184th Street and Hillside Avenue at about 2:40 p.m. and passed a note to one of the tellers. The note demanded money, police said, and the robber escaped with $700.
No one was injured in the incident, police said, and an investigation was ongoing.
Ozone Park stabbing now deemed a homicide
OZONE PARK—The death of a man who was injured in a September 2001 stabbing on the corner of 111th Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway service road was reclassified as a homicide by the medical examiner’s office Saturday, police said.
The 106th Precinct Detective Squad was notifed Saturday by the medical examiner’s office that Willie Drummond died from injuries sustained in a stabbing Sept. 20, 2001.
No arrests have been made and police were now investigating the stabbing as a homicide.
Ridgewood man charged in Rego Park bank heist
REGO PARK — A man was arrested Friday and charged with robbing a Rego Park bank of $900, police said.
Steven Cataraso, 41, of 61-20 Madison St., Ridgewood, was arrested on the corner of 88th Street and 74th Avenue by Officers Anthony Jimenez and Dustin Mowerey and charged in the robbery, police said.
No one was hurt in the robbery, which police said occurred at the JP Morgan Chase Bank at 71-04 Woodhaven Blvd. at about 8 a.m. Friday.
SUV, $400 in cash taken in Woodhaven car jacking
WOODHAVEN—A man was carjacked on 89th Street after parking his car a block from his home July 12, police said.
The man had just parked his car when he was approached by four men wearing blue bandanas who demanded cash, police said. Two of the perpetrators wearing surgical gloves displayed black handguns and one man told the victim to “hand over the money,” police said.
The man gave the thieves his wallet, which contained $400 in cash and keys to his 2000 Nissan Exterra, police said. All four men then entered the vehicle and fled westbound on 89th Avenue, they said.
A stolen blue SUV which may have been dumped by the perpetrators was recovered by police nearby, cops said. There were no injuries or arrests and police were continuing with an investigation.
Ozone Park stabbing now deemed a homicide
OZONE PARK—The death of a man who was injured in a September 2001 stabbing on the corner of 111th Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway service road was reclassified as a homicide by the medical examiner’s office Saturday, police said.
The 106th Precinct Detective Squad was notifed Saturday by the medical examiner’s office that Willie Drummond died from injuries sustained in a stabbing Sept. 20, 2001.
No arrests have been made and police were now investigating the stabbing as a homicide.
Two teens stabbed in Astoria dispute
ASTORIA — Two teenagers were stabbed in front of 36-05 30th Ave. Friday at 2:21 p.m. after getting involved in a dispute with a male, police said.
The teens were removed to Elmhurst Hospital where the 15-year-old was in stable condition and the 16-year-old was in critical condition, police said.
There were no arrests and the investigation was ongoing, police said.
Man charged with robbing Richmond Hill sister-in-law
RICHMOND HILL — A Brooklyn man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly beating and robbing his sister-in-law, police said.
Rudranauth Ramdass, 34, is accused of pushing in the door to the victim’s apartment at 124-01 95th Ave. Tuesday night and beating her with an unknown object, causing minor bruising to her face and chest, police said.
He then allegedly fled with assorted jewelry and a phone, police said.
He was arrested at his Brooklyn residence at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, police said.
Middle Village fire quickly controlled
MIDDLE VILLAGE — It took 60 firefighters less than 45 minutes to quench a Middle Village blaze Tuesday afternoon, a Fire Department spokesman said.
The blaze broke out at about 12:47 p.m. on the first floor of a two-story attached home located at 68-40 76th St., Firefighter James Spollen said, and was brought under control at about 1:30 p.m.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Spollen said. No one was seriously injured, he said.
Jackson Heights man hit by ‘E’ train at 14th St.
MANHATTAN — A Jackson Heights man was critically injured Tuesday night when he fell beneath a moving subway car, police said.
Sebastian Nowak, 21, of 35-33 83rd Rd., was struck by a northbound E train at West 14th Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan when he fell between the cars at 10:10 p.m. Tuesday, police said. The train stopped automatically when it sensed something beneath it.
He was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital where he was listed in critical condition, police said.
Son finds Ridgewood mom dead on couch in home
RIDGEWOOD — A woman was found dead Tuesday night on the couch of her Fresh Pond Road residence by her son, police said.
The victim had a history of depression, police said. The medical examiner was to determine the cause of death.
Cop cadet sex charges in Richmond Hill incident
RICHMOND HILL — A police cadet was arrested in the 102nd Precinct Tuesday for allegedly having sexual relations with a 16-year-old girl at his residence Sunday, police said.
Mohamed Ali, 20, a cadet assigned to the 106th Precinct, was charged with sexual misconduct, police said.
The victim was treated and released from Jamaica Hospital.
Richmond Hill cops nab crime spree suspects
RICHMOND HILL — Three Brooklyn men were arrested last week after police said they were allegedly responsible for five robberies in the Richmond Hill-based 102nd Precinct.
Steven Pabon, 16, of 1060 Hegeman Ave., Olmo Gaviel, 18, of 1240 Sutter Ave., and Luis Matir, 18, also of 1060 Hegeman Ave., were arrested, police said. The trio were linked to five robberies this month in which the thieves used guns, took cash and property and in three of the robberies, the victim’s car, police said.
