Teaming up to aid stricken teen

When the Jamaica Rotary and the NYPD team up, there’s no stopping them.
And the two organizations are teaming up to help 13-year-old Manijeh Ryan, who has been battling a rare form of brain cancer, Anaplastic Oligoastrocytoma, since she was just three-years-old.
She, along with her family – dad, Police Officer Amos Ryan of the 107th Precinct, mom and brother – were special guests of the most recent Jamaica Rotary meeting, where they were presented with two checks – one for $500 and one for $900 – to help defray medical costs.
This came on the heels of a successful fundraiser organized by the NYPD just a few weeks ago.
“I want to thank you so much for your blessings and continue to keep us in your prayers,” said Manijeh’s mom.
The Rotary and Assistant Chief James Secreto then went on to fete exemplary police work.
“One of the many missions of the police department is to reduce violence,” said Deputy Inspector Charles McEvoy, Commanding Officer of the 103rd Precinct, who honored Police Officers Eric Ortega and Joseph Nicosia for their efforts.
On June 1, said McEvoy, a pizza was delivered to an apartment on Guy R. Brewer Boulevard; when the delivery person noticed the two $10 bills were counterfeit, he flagged down the officers, who went inside, and through an open door observed the perp moving marijuana from a larger bag to smaller ones. He was arrested and the officers recovered two other bags of marijuana, as well as a loaded gun under the mattress.
It turns out, said McEvoy, that in January, a search warrant in the same building had garnered seven arrests and three, fully-loaded, semi-automatic weapons in connection with the last homicide of 2010; this suspect had been arrested then as well.
The new Commanding Officer of the 113th Precinct, Deputy Inspector Milt Marmara, then paid tribute to Police Officers Christopher Mazzolla and Kenneth Sepulveda.
On May 18 at 2:30 a.m., they were on routine patrol on Merrick Boulevard when they responded to an alarm. Knowing there was a commercial burglary pattern, the officers saw an individual running through backyards with various items, as well as burglary tools. After a foot pursuit – and despite the fact that the perp resisted – he was arrested. Still in jail, officers say he was responsible for at least five burglaries.
Good police work led to the arrest of a man tied to burglaries in the 106th and 69th Precinct, and for this Detective William Loschiavo was feted.
Captain Thomas Pascale of the 106th Precinct said they had had a commercial burglary pattern along Liberty Avenue from November of last year through April of this year. On April 5, said Pascale, the perp returned to a location he had previously hit on Liberty Avenue – only this time he left his cell phone behind. Through surveillance and DNA evidence, the suspect was arrested.
And Officers James Healy and Francis Noonan were honored by Lieutenant Rob Seaman of the 102nd Precinct for their work in arresting a suspect wanted in connection with a robbery and assault.
Seaman explained that two youths were being robbed of their cell phones and watches when their uncle stepped in to help. He was then hit over the head with a baseball bat and taken to Jamaica Hospital. Officers took the perp into custody and he was positively identified.
“These guys [police officers] go above and beyond,” said Jamaica Rotary president Joe Iaboni, who presented Assistant Chief James Secreto, Commanding Officer of Patrol Borough Queens South, with a special Rotary plaque and pin.
“We represent and police some wonderful communities,” said Secreto, proud of the men and women of the Force. “TV makes it look so easy, but out there it’s hard.”