By Stephen Stirling
Two teenagers were arrested for the murder of a 49 year−old Woodhaven man after his body was found in a Flushing alley last weekend, police said.
Authorites arrested 16 year−old Cory Azor of 29−17 Erickson St. in Queens and Chris Levy of Manhattan Tuesday morning on murder, robbery and weapons charges for the murder of David Kao, whose body was found Saturday afternoon.
Community leaders held a candlelight vigil on a gravel alley in Flushing Monday where they said the brutally beaten body of Kao was found, the latest in what they called a crime “epidemic” in the area.
Azor and Levy were awaiting arraignment at Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens Wednesday.
Police said they found Kao, a Woodhaven resident, among rubble and brush in an alley on 147th Street between Roosevelt Avenue and 41st Avenue at around 2:15 p.m Saturday.
“This is really focal point for what seems to be an epidemic in this community,” said the Rev. Nicholas Tweed of Macedonia AME Church. “People cannot be held hostage in their own community.”
Tweed said there have been reports of rape and robbery that have occurred in the area and members of the gang MS−13, whose members were implicated in two Flushing murders during the last six months, are known to congregate at nearby businesses.
Usha Nath, who lives in an apartment building next door to where the man’s body was found, said there is a palpable fear in the community, but that it should be trumped by solidarity.
“My neighbors, my landlords said to me, ‘You’re going down there? This man’s enemies, the people that did this could be watching.’ I said yes,” Nath said. “We got to hold each others’ hands and come together.”
Vasquez broke down in tears as she lit a candle for the man and said a prayer, while Mitchell Linden Civic Association Co−President John Choe called for city action.
“This is an attack on all of us,” Choe said. “We need to make sure that we have the proper resources in this community to combat this.”
Tweed said anyone with information should call police at 1−800−577−TIPS.
Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e−mail at sstirling@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 138.
