By The TimesLedger
BAYSIDE – An Egyptian national in jail for allegedly posing as an FBI agent was indicted last week on charges he had a role in the kidnapping and murder of a Bayside businessman in 2001.
Mohammed Khalil, 42, was charged in Brooklyn federal court with conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to take a hostage, actual hostage-taking and actual kidnaping resulting in the death of 39-year-old Magdy El-Sayed, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Smith said.
Khalil was also charged with conspiracy to commit extortion and extortion resulting in death, Smith said.
El-Sayed, a Bayside resident who owned convenience stores in the metropolitan area, was found dead in his car in Bayonne, N.J. several days after he was reported missing on May 14, 2001, the TimesLedger reported at the time of the incident.
Eyewitnesses saw three or four men put El-Sayed into a car with New Jersey plates outside his home, Smith said.
Hudson County assistant prosecutor Pat Raviola said El-Sayed’s wife paid a ransom for his return and that there had not been any other arrests in the case.
Smith said Khalil was eligible for the death penalty, but the U.S. Justice Department had not yet decided whether to pursue a death sentence.
Khalil’s attorney, Thomas Concannon, did not return a call from the TimesLedger.
FLUSHING — A teenage student at Francis Lewis High School returned home safely Tuesday afternoon after she was reported missing by her mother earlier that morning.
Irene Romero, 17, was last seen by her mother at about 8:15 a.m. Monday, her mother, Rachel Romero said.
When Irene Romero did not return home Monday night, her mother called police at 3:30 a.m.
Irene Romero returned home the following afternoon.
The teenager had taken sick after attending a night school class at John Adams High School and stayed at a friend’s house near the school, her mother said.
ST. ALBANS – A St. Albans man was arrested after allegedly shooting a 41-year-old man in the chest Sunday night, police said.
Dennis Huggins of 205th Place was charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
The victim was hit once in the chest at about 11 p.m. while sitting in a vehicle at 205th Street and Hollis Avenue, police said. He was taken by private means to Mary Immaculate Hospital, where he was in stable condition, police said.
MANHATTAN – A state Department of Environmental Protection worker was arrested last Thursday after being stopped for a traffic violation on a Randalls Island ramp about 10:10 p.m., police said.
Kenneth Bristol, 52, of St. Albans was charged with DWI and marijuana possession, police said.
Bristol had been with the DEP since 1984 and worked at the Jamaica Sewage Treatment Plant, a spokesman for the DEP said. The agency was still looking into the incident and had not taken any disciplinary action.
ROCKAWAY PARK – An off-duty New York City sanitation employee was arrested and charged with assault following a dispute, police said.
The victim reported being pushed by the worker, Kenneth Ruddin, and sustained a leg cut, police said. The incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. Friday.
The Dept. of Sanitation said Ruddin worked in Queens, but could not be more specific. Disciplinary action was yet to be decided.
ARVERNE – A former New York City Sanitation worker was arrested and charged with marijuana possession, driving with a suspended license and criminal possession of a weapon after police conducted a car stop at 11:40 p.m. on May 28 at Beach 77th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard, police said.
Jeffrey Reaves resigned from the Sanitation Department in July 2002, a spokesman for the department said.
HAMMELS – A 26-year-old man was shot once in the leg at about 6:15 Sunday night by an unknown attacker, police said.
The attack occurred at Beach Channel Drive and Beach 83rd Street, police said.
The victim was taken to Peninsula Hospital Center in stable condition.
There were no arrests in the ongoing investigation.
SOUTH JAMAICA – A police officer was arrested and suspended following involvement in a domestic dispute at 6:15 p.m. Friday, police said.
Police officer Sean Laird, assigned to the 113th Precinct, was charged with third-degree assault, police said.
ROSEDALE – A corrections officer was arrested and charged with criminal mischief and harassment after she backed her car into another vehicle about 9:40 p.m. May 28, authorities said.
Loucreatia Jones, 41, was assigned to Riker’s Island, a Corrections Department spokesman said.
The incident occurred near 121-39 235th Street in Rosedale, police said.
HAMMELS – A 23-year old man was shot once in the back about 1 a.m. Saturday by an unknown assailant near 84-12 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, police said.
The victim was taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition, police said.
There were no arrests made in the ongoing investigation.
JACKSON HEIGHTS – Three men and a woman were arrested after police raided two Roosevelt Avenue buildings last Thursday and found more than $500,000 worth of stolen name-brand clothing, police said.
Media Torres, 39, of Elmhurst was arrested after a search warrant was executed at 89-14 Roosevelt Avenue, police said.
The second search, at 77-06 Roosevelt Avenue, resulted in the arrest of Hugo Santos, 30, of East Elmhurst; Edwin Urbna, 29, of Manhattan; and Maximo Fernandez, 30, of Ozone Park, according to police.
All were charged with criminal possession of stolen property, police said.
CORONA – Two men were found stabbed about 5:40 a.m. Sunday, police said.
One 23-year-old victim was found in front of 45-01 102nd Street, stabbed multiple times in the back, police said.
The other, a man in his 20s, was found at 47th Avenue and 104th Street, also with multiple stab wounds to the back. Both were taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, police said.
There were no arrests in the ongoing investigation.
WOODSIDE – A 44-year-old man told officers he was bumped by a neighbor while entering the No. 7 train station at Queens Boulevard and 52nd Street the morning of May 28, police said.
The occurrence was labeled a possible bias incident by police. The man said he had been involved in an ongoing dispute with the neighbor before the alleged bumping occurred, and that the neighbor had made anti-gay statements in the past, police said.
The man made the report at 8:10 a.m., but it was not immediately clear when the incident occurred. The investigation was ongoing.
JACKSON HEIGHTS – An intermediate school dean was arrested Friday evening after students complained that he spanked them as punishment for school-related infractions, the Dept. of Education said.
William Rini, 47, of Manhasset was charged with child endangerment and forcible touching for allegedly taking male students to his van and striking them on the buttocks, the department said.
Rini was hired in 1991 as a social studies teacher at I.S. 145, the Dept. of Education said. He was suspended once before, the deptmartment said but would not elaborate.
QUEENSBRIDGE – An 18-year-old man was shot once in the leg by an unknown male attacker at 9:15 a.m. Monday morning, police said.
The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center in stable condition, police said.
There were no arrests and the investigation was ongoing.
RIKERS ISLAND – An inmate was stabbed to death by another inmate Friday at about 5 p.m. after an altercation, the corrections department said.
The incident was under investigation and no arrests were made.
