By Courtney Dentch
Two southeast Queens men were killed in separate shootings just before the new year, and a third resident of the area was shot in the Bronx Monday, police said.
A St. Albans man was murdered in a bar brawl Dec. 30, a Hollis man was shot Dec. 31 and died Saturday, and a Rochdale Village man was killed in a car outside a Bronx apartment building Monday, all in unrelated incidents, police said.
One arrest was made in the bar incident, but police were still investigating the other murders.
In the Dec. 30 shooting, 22-year-old Laron Pettaway, of 163-33 Sayres Ave. in St. Albans, was shot after he fought with a man inside Tony’s Sports Bar and Restaurant, at 221-13 Jamaica Ave. in Queens Village just before 3 a.m., police said. Pettaway was shot once in the side of his chest, and he died about 45 minutes later at Long Island Jewish Hospital.
Police arrested Douglas Simon, 21, of 118-13 218th St. in Cambria Heights and charged him with the shooting. Simon was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the criminal complaint from the Queens district attorney’s office. Simon was also charged with assault for allegedly shooting a second person at the bar, the complaint said. The second victim, who was not identified, was struck in the arm, according to the complaint.
Pettaway’s family could not be reached for comment, but a snow-covered bouquet of black and red balloons still adorned the front lawn of his St. Albans home Monday.
An employee of B & J Wine and Liquors, two doors down Jamaica Avenue from the bar where Pettaway was shot, said the establishment has had its share of confrontations.
“They have fights over there, but this is the first time I’ve heard someone’s come in with a gun,” said the employee, who declined to give his name. “He needs better security over there, I’ve told him that.”
The man said the bar employs two bouncers. No one was available at the bar to comment on the incident or the security.
In the second incident, which took place just five minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve, 28-year-old Gregory Frazier was shot outside his Hollis home at 102-34 188th St, police said. Frazier was shot once in the neck by an unknown gunman and was taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica, police said.
Frazier died from his wounds four days later on Saturday at about 10:30 p.m., according to police.
No arrests were made and the police were still investigating the shooting.
A Rochdale Village man was killed Monday in a shooting in the Parkchester section of the Bronx, police said. Clayton Conaway, 26, of 172-30 133rd Ave., was slain at about 6 p.m. while sitting in a car outside an apartment building, according to police. Conaway was hit several times in the chest and legs, and officers found six shell casings from a .9mm gun, police said.
No arrests had been made, and police were continuing their investigation.
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 138.
