Quantcast

Police Blotter: Man uses note to rob Flushing HSBC branch

By The TimesLedger

FLUSHING — An HSBC bank was robbed by a man who passed a note to the teller demanding money Monday afternoon, police said.

The suspect fled the bank at 41-99 Kissena Blvd. with $450 at about 3:35 p.m., police said.

Police announced no arrests and were investigating.

Brooklyn escapee indicted for alleged rapes in Queens

KEW GARDENS – A Brooklyn man who had escaped from police custody for six months was indicted Tuesday in a series of rapes in Queens.

Luis Acosta, 34, of 1169 Flatbush Ave. is alleged to have raped four females: a 9-year-old Jackson Heights girl; an 11-year-old Astoria girl; a 12-year-old Richmond Hill girl; and a 25-year-old Astoria woman, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

All the rapes took place between May 1999 and January 2001, Brown said.

Acosta is charged with rape, sodomy, sex abuse, robbery, burglary and endangering the welfare of a child, the district attorney said. He faces consecutive prison sentences of up to life in prison if convicted, Brown said.

“He (Acosta) is alleged to have posed as a plumber during two of the attacks and to have used a knife in three of the attacks,” Brown said. “This case will be vigorously prosecuted with the special needs of these traumatized victims being of paramount concern.”

Bayside High student arrested trying to write graffiti in hall

BAYSIDE – A Bayside High School student was arrested May 6 on charges of attempting to write graffiti on a hallway wall, Officer Santo Elardo of the 111th Precinct said Monday.

The 15-year-old boy was caught in the act by faculty, the officer said, and charged with graffiti writing. Police could not release the boy’s name because of his age.

Robber gets $700 cash from Kew Gardens Hills bank

KEW GARDENS HILLS — A man armed with a gun robbed a Greenpoint Savings Bank on Main Street last Thursday, police said.

The man entered the bank at 75-21 Main St. at about 1:30 p.m., police said. He showed his gun, demanded money and fled with more than $700, police said.

No one was injured and no arrests were made. Police were investigating.

Unidentified man found dead at Archer Ave. station

JAMAICA — A man was found dead on the last car of the an E train early Saturday morning, police said.

The man, 52, was discovered face up in a northbound E train before it pulled out of the Parsons Boulevard Archer Avenue station, the last stop on the train, police said.

Police found the body after receiving a call from a transit employee.

The man had a laceration to his left bicep, police said.

Police did not know where the man died and were investigating.

Two shot on Jamaica corner, manage to reach hospital

JAMAICA — Two men in their 20s were shot at the corner of Sutphin Boulevard and Ferndale Street on May 7, police said.

One man was shot in the leg, the other shot in the stomach at about 8:45 p.m., police said.

The men managed to take themselves to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, police said.

Police made no arrests and were investigating.

Laurelton bank robbed fourth time in two months

LAURELTON — A man robbed a Ridgewood Savings Bank of $114 Tuesday afternoon, the fourth time the bank was robbed in two months, police said.

The man in his 20s entered the bank at 230-20 Merrick Blvd. at 4:58 p.m. and passed a note to the teller demanding money, police said. He fled with $114, police said.

Police made no arrests and were investigating.

The same bank was robbed three times in two weeks in April.

Fugitive E. Elmhurst man returned to face charges in computer scam

EAST ELMHURST — An East Elmhurst man sought in an 18-month international manhunt has been returned to New York to face charges in a $3 million computer equipment scam, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

Rami Hassan, 22, formerly of 21-19 76th St., was charged with 15 others in a 140-count indictment filed in May 2002 in a computer fraud case, Brown said. He was also indicted for allegedly jumping bail in an unrelated gun possession case in 2000, the DA said.

Hassan pleaded not guilty to both indictments in Queens Supreme Court and was remanded without bail, Brown said.

Hassan is accused of setting up dummy companies to obtain leases on expensive computer equipment, which he would then sell at reduced prices to legitimate retailers, Brown said.

Hassan, a naturalized American citizen from Kuwait with Jordanian parents, allegedly fled to Baltimore, then to Mexico, Belgium, England, Spain and Jordan before arriving in Medellin, Colombia, where Colombian detectives apprehended him April 24.

Two men wounded in Lefrak City shootings

LEFRAK CITY — Two men were shot in separate incidents at an apartment building last Thursday night, police said.

One victim told authorities he was approached by a man at 98-30 57th Ave. and was shot in an arm for no apparent reason, police said. The man was able to drive himself to St. John’s Hospital where he was treated and released, police said.

A second victim was confronted by two men who shot him in the chest, also for no apparent reason, police said.

The man was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center in stable condition, police said.

Police made no arrests and were investigating.

Boy, 15, suffers head injury in Jackson Heights attack

JACKSON HEIGHTS — A teen-ager was hit over the head with a baseball bat by another teen at 35th Avenue and 93rd Street last Thursday afternoon, police said.

A 15-year-old male was approached by a group of four or five teen-agers about 5 p.m. who engaged him in a verbal dispute, police said. One teen, described as having a black pony tail, then hit the victim with the bat, police said.

The injured teen was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center in stable condition.

Police announced no arrests and were investigating.

Man wielding note robs Ridgewood bank

RIDGEWOOD — A man in his 30s robbed a Banco Popular of $100 Saturday by passing a note to the teller demanding money, police said.

The man fled the bank at 918 Seneca Ave. at 12:45 p.m., police said.

Police made no arrests and were investigating.

Maspeth man shot in back in Manhattan, dies

EAST HARLEM — A Maspeth man was shot in the back while on a Manhattan street, police said.

Kaleek Diaz, of 54th Street in Maspeth, was shot once in the back on May 7 in front of 230 East 123rd Street at about 10:35 p.m., police said. Several shots had been fired from a vehicle, police said.

Diaz was rushed to Harlem Hospital where he later died.

Police said they did not know the motive for the crime. They made no arrests and were investigating.

Man found unconscious in Elmhurst dies at hospital

ELMHURST — A 38-year-old man found unconscious May 6 in the rear seat of a car parked on Queens Boulevard about 9:45 p.m. was later pronounced dead, police said.

The man was taken from the car at 84-16 Queens Blvd. to St. John’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 10:30 p.m., police said.

Police were investigating.