Pruning The Park Of Perps

Despite the chilly winter weather, two park workers helped keep the bad elements out of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Last Tuesday, Elaine Goodman, a seasonal park worker and mother of nine from the Bronx, and her co-worker Dwight Skeeter foiled two muggers roughing up a man in one of the parks bathrooms, attempting to steal the victims money and jewelry.
Goodman, 40, said she was inside the womens bathrooms when she heard a woman yelling.
"She started screaming and screaming and said, Help me, help me," tough-and-buff Goodman told The Queens Courier. The distressed woman told Goodman that her husband was being beaten by two thugs in the mens bathroom. Once Goodman got wind of the information, she said instincts took over. "They just kicked in," said the plucky park worker.
She called to Skeeter, who was working nearby, for assistance, and the dynamic duo charged into the bathroom, pulling the wannabe muggers off the victim, who was being punched and kicked. The heroes threw the thugs against the wall and subdued them and their lookout. Goodman and Skeeter then radioed their boss, Alfred Nardo, a park supervisor, for assistance.
Within minutes, more than 20 workers were at the scene of the foiled crime and had the perps surrounded. Nardo had the thugs park themselves on the ground with their hands beneath them and their shoes off, to dissuade any attempt to flee.
The two muggers and lookout, Jesus Saul, 29, Santiago Guroura, 24, and Angel Garcia, 26, had attempted to steal the victims wallet and gold chain. Police charged the three with assault and robbery.
The husband, who suffered a few cuts and bruises to the face, and his wife thanked Goodman, who said she was just doing what came naturally.
"I am not going to let anything happen in the park that I work in," Goodman, whos worked for one year at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, proudly stated. "Its supposed to be safe, and I try to keep it clean."