Cops: turnstile jumper armed with gun

NEW YORK—Police in New York City say a man arrested for jumping the turnstile at a PATH train station had gun loaded with hollow-point bullets.

Port Authority spokesman Al Della Fave says Port Authority officers Matt Vogelman and Pat Carroll were on duty at the 14th Street station around 4:30 a.m. Friday when they saw a man jumping the turnstile.

The officers noticed a bulge in the man's waistband. Police say the man tried to flee but the officers grabbed him.

Della Fave says the man had a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets.

The suspect, 36-year-old Rubin Sanabria, was arrested on charges including resisting arrest, weapon possession and theft of service.

Sanabria was awaiting arraignment Friday.

Information on an attorney was not immediately available.

(By: MyFoxNY.com )

Construction Worker Plunges From Throgs Neck Bridge

BRONX — A construction worker plunged from the Throgs Neck Bridge Friday morning, authorities said.

The man plummeted into the Long Island Sound shortly after 8 a.m., officials said.

Two boats and a helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard were still searching for the man about two-and-a-half hours after the incident, officials said.

It was not immediately clear how the man ended up in the water, authorities added.

(By: DNAinfo)

Child drowns after babysitter leaves her alone in tub of Brooklyn apartment.

A 5-year-old girl died at Brookdale University Hospital Thursday night after she slipped underwater and drowned while taking a bath.

A 5-year-old girl slipped underwater and died after her babysitter left her alone in the tub of a Broooklyn apartment Thursday night, police said.

The child, whose name was not immediately released, was discovered by the 25-year-old man who was babysitting her, cops said.

He left the girl alone in the tub in the third-floor apartment on Hull St. near Saratoga Ave. in Brownsville and returned sometime later when he saw her beneath the water, cops said.

A 911 call was made at 7:19 p.m. for the unconscious child, the FDNY said. She was taken to Brookdale University Hospital, where she died within the hour, police sources said.

The babysitter was being questioned at the 81st Precinct stationhouse after the girl's death.

A doctor at the hospital noticed bruising on the child, but noted that it may have been a result of attempts to resuscitate her, one police source said.

The medical examiner will determine the cause of death, officials said.

Read more: nydailynews.com

Fire Breaks Out In 42nd Street McDonald's

MIDTOWN — Maybe someone wanted their fries extra crispy.

A blaze broke out at a busy McDonald's on West 42nd Street Thursday afternoon, fire officials said.

Sixty firefighters were called to extinguish the blaze in the walls of the eatery at 220 W. 42nd St., FDNY officials said.

There were no injuries in the 4 p.m. fire, an FDNY spokesman said.

It was brought under control about a half hour later and the cause was under investigation.

Japanese Tourist Struck By Stray Cop Bullet In Drug Raid

BROOKLYN — A Japanese tourist sleeping on a couch in a Flatbush apartment was hit by a stray police bullet during a drug bust in the same building early Thursday, police and witnesses said.

The unidentified woman, 25, was dozing in the living room of a second floor apartment at 3003 Clarendon Rd., near Nostrand Avenue, about 6:30 a.m. when cops burst into a flat a floor above, police and witnesses said.

"I just heard a big sound, and that was it," said Marcus Cruz, who was hosting the woman in his second floor home.

"Once I heard a bang, I just jumped up," Cruz added. "I didn't hear no gunshots."

Cops from the Brooklyn South Narcotics unit were executing a warrant for drugs in Apt. 3F when one of the cops began struggling with a suspect, sources said. At some point, the officer's gun discharged, according to police.

"They busted in," said Cerissa Hayes, 35, a third-floor resident who lives across the hall from the apartment that was raided. "They yelled, 'Police!' and I heard a shot.

"I heard a big bang. I thought it was my apartment," she added.

The round ripped through the floor and into into Marcus' home, grazing the victim in the forearm, sources said.

She was taken to Kings County Hospital, where she was treated and released.

A few hours after the incident, cops escorted the victim back to the Clarendon Road building. Clearly shaken, she ignored questions from reporters.

"She was kind of nervous and shocked," Cruz said, adding that the visitor had been in town only a few days.

Police said they had two people in custody and charges were pending. They did not say if drugs or weapons were found in the home.

Natasha Barnett, 28, who said she used to date a man who lives in the raided apartment, claimed there was no drug activity in the home.

"He doesn't sell drugs," she said. "I don't know of him selling drugs."

(By-DNAinfo)

Midtown Elevator Worker Found Electrocuted

Authorities are investigating the death of an elevator mechanic who was electrocuted while working in a Manhattan office building last night.

Investigators say Ed Bradley, 44, got a deadly jolt around 9:30 p.m. while working in an elevator machine room on the ninth floor of the Axa Equitable building on Sixth Avenue in Midtown.

Emergency responders found his body lying near live wires.

"When we arrived on the scene there was an individual in cardiac arrest. The cause of the injuries were not determined. There still under investigation right now," said FDNY Deputy Chief Jim Hodgens.

Bradley, an employee of the Schindler Group, routinely worked on elevators in the building.

The Department of buildings and OSHA are investigating the incident.

By: NY1 News

FBI Breaks Up 7-Man Fake Cop Gang On LI

Federal authorities believe this SUV was part of an elaborate gang of seven men who posed as police officers and robbed drug dealers on Long Island.

MINEOLA, N.Y. — A gang of suspected fake police officers on Long Island allegedly thought they were about make a killer score.

Instead, they ended up in some very real cuffs. As CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan reports exclusively, the FBI said they had an inside man.

The informant posing as a robber was dropped off at a diner, where he sounded the all clear to his partners in crime waiting on nearby Roselle Street in Mineola. At 4:26 a.m. 
they exited their vehicles, quickly sneaking toward the bounty — a warehouse filled with cocaine.

"[At] 4:30 in the morning my wife and I were awoken to what sounded like gunshots," homeowner Carlos Valderrama said.

Valderrama said 50 FBI agents had jumped out of vans they were hiding in right in front of his house and wrestled thugs to the ground. Witnesses said the suspects were all impersonating cops
.
"I think the worst part about it … these men posing as police officers are conducting criminal activities," Valderrama said.

Seven men who were said to be conspiring to pose as police in order to steal drugs from dealers were arrested by federal agents. 

Court documents obtained by CBS 2 said the seven-man group had allegedly been running the ruse and posing as law enforcement as far back as 2010, tying up drug dealers in order to rob them of narcotics.

The warehouse on Roselle Street was empty. There was no cocaine inside. Agents said the suspects left behind damaging evidence — their SUV with New Jersey plates.

"It's been here since Friday and it's getting tickets, and there's an FBI paper in there, because I walked by," body shop owner David Martins said.

On the driver's seat, in clear view, the FBI outlined what it had confiscated — knives, packing tape, work gloves, cell phones and BlackBerrys.

"Right there I live. I slept through the whole thing. Oh my god! What's wrong with people?" homeowner Elizabeth White said.

No one was hurt in the raid. The SUV remained on the street as investigators waited to see who might dare claim it.

The seven suspected fake cop drug robbers are all behind bars, and will have a date in federal court later this week

3-Alarm Fire in LES High-Rise

Firefighters are on the scene of a three-alarm fire in a high-rise building on the Lower East Side.

The blaze began on the 16th floor of 89 Columbia Street, a 21-story building, the FDNY said.

Officials say there are more than 135 battling the fire. No injuries have been reported.

Massive Fire Tears Through Maurice Avenue Building

QUEENS — A huge fire ripped through a home in Maspeth Tuesday evening, injuring several firefighters, officials said.

The blaze, which quickly went to three alarms, erupted at 65-55 Maurice Ave., near 51st Avenue, just before 7:50 p.m.

It quickly consumed the home and spread to two adjoining buildings.

Nearly 140 firefighters raced to the scene and battled the blaze for more than three hours.

All of the residents of the house were able to make it out of the house, officials said.

Three firefighters suffered minor injuries.

The cause was under investigation.

By: DNAinfo

Toddler Struck by SUV in Bronx

A toddler is in critical condition after he was hit by a car in the Bronx Tuesday evening, police say.

A 73-year-old woman driving a Ford Escape SUV was traveling southbound on Taylor Avenue in Parkchester when the boy, 2, ran out into the street, police said. The  child was struck by the vehicle.

The driver remained on the scene as emergency responders arrived. The boy was taken to Jacobi Medical Center in critical condition.

By: NBCNewYork

Body Of Man Found Near Brooklyn Cruise Terminal

BROOKLYN — A man's body was discovered in the waters off the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook Tuesday, police said.

The NYPD's Harbor Unit found the body of the man near Pier 12 about 2:20 p.m., a source said.

The man was wearing blue jeans and a blue sweatshirt, according to the source.

It was unclear if the man was the victim of a crime.

By: DNAinfo

Two Hurt In Cypress Hills Fire

BROOKLYN — A fire broke out in a Cypress Hills building Tuesday, injuring two people, officials said.

The blaze started about 2:20 p.m. in a third floor hallway at 349 Ridgewood Ave., near Chestnut St., fire officials said.

A mother and her child were injured, but refused medical attention at the scene, they said.

Some 60 firefighters were battling the blaze about 40 minutes after it began, officials said.

By: DNAinfo

Several brush fires in New Jersey

Several brush fires have broken out in New Jersey, including one adjacent to the New Jersey Turnpike in Kearny.

That fire was not threatening any residences or businesses, but was causing a slowdown on traffic on the turnpike.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for much of the tristate area until 6 p.m.

Forecasters said that strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures will combine to create a high risk of brush fires throughout the day.

Any fires that develop will likely grow and spread rapidly, forecasters said. Use extreme caution if performing outdoor burning.

By: MyFoxNY.com

Fire truck and car collide in Brooklyn

Several firefighters were injured when their fire truck collided with a car in Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon, the FDNY said.

The accident happened at the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Fulton Street in Crown Heights.

Nine people were hurt, including five firefighters and four civilians, authorities said.

MYFOXNY.com

Williamsburg, NY - 11 Year Old Girl Injured By City Bus

An 11-year-old girl was shaken up after running into a city bus in Williamsburg today, authorities said.

The girl smashed her face into the side of a B48 bus when she darted out from between two parked cars on the corner of Lorimer Street and Marcy Avenue at 9:37 a.m., said a spokesman for the MTA.

"She was scared," said Jacob Lefkowitz, the girl's father. "She was bleeding from her nose and mouth."

The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital by a Hatzolah ambulance in stable condition, sources said.

Manhole Explodes on Sixth Avenue as Transformers Catch Fire

Two transformers caught fire on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan,

FLATIRON DISTRICT — A manhole exploded on Sixth Avenue Monday, causing several nearby windows to be blown out, officials said.

The explosion was possibly caused by Con Ed electrical equipment catching fire below West 17th Street at roughly 2:30 p.m., the FDNY said.

Just as firefighters were leaving the scene, a second transformer caught fire, shooting flames out of a manhole down the block at 55 W. 17th St., an FDNY spokesman said.

"It was like a bomb," said George Tamayo, 26, who works on the sixth floor of the building. "The whole building shook."

The explosion blew out several nearby windows, sending shards of glass onto the street, he said.

An FDNY spokesman said firefighters initially picked up on dangerous carbon monoxide readings in the lobby of the building. The FDNY subsequently evacuated about 10 people from the building.

No one was injured when two transformers caught fire on Fifth Avenue on March 26, 2012. (DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg)

No one was injured, officials said.

They were allowed back in the building some 90 minutes later, a fire chief said at the scene, after CO readings leveled off and were no longer deemed dangerous.

The FDNY spokesman said about 4 p.m. that the transformers were nearly extinguished. The block was re-opened to traffic just before 4:30 p.m.

Sara Banda, a Con Ed spokeswoman, said workers were on the scene, but the cause was not immediately known. There were no outages as a result of the manhole fires, she said.

By: DNAinfo

Shooting Victim Dies After Taking Woman's Car In Queens

QUEENS — A man wounded by gunfire died in Elmhurst Sunday night after crashing a car belonging to a terrified motorist he had asked for help, authorities said.

Tesfari Davis, 32, of Corona, approached a woman parking her car in the neighborhood at 8:33 p.m. Sunday after suffering a gunshot wound to the neck and multiple gunshots to the legs, police said.

The woman panicked and jumped out of the car and Davis hopped behind the wheel and sped away, police said.

The victim ultimately crashed into an SUV near the Horace Harding Expressway and Junction Boulevard, where cops found him, police said.

The driver of the SUV got out to exchange vehicle information when he saw the victim "shaking and having convulsions," a police source said.

Davis was taken to Elmhurst Hospital and pronounced dead.

There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing. 

By: DNAinfo

BROOKLYN 2 ALARM FIRE...

Brooklyn  FDNY  are on scene at a fire in a furniture store on 65 St & 18 Ave, FDNY has transmitted a 2nd Alarm response due to heavy fire conditions throughout the store.

Police Shootout Leaves Man Critically Injured

MANHATTAN — A young man was shot and critically injured in Harlem Sunday evening after he opened fire on a group of police officers, authorities said.

The shootout unfolded at 2698 Frederick Douglass Blvd., near West 143rd Street, just before 6:30 p.m.

According to police officials, the uniformed officers, from the 32nd Precinct, approached the suspect for reasons that were not immediately known and he then took off.

At some point the man turned around and shot twice at the officers but did not hit them, according to the officials.

That's when one of the cops fired back, hitting the man in the chest and upper left thigh.

He was rushed to Harlem Hospital in critical but stable condition, according to the officials.

But witnesses said that the young man was shot in the back.

"The kid was running away. He looked real scared," said witness David Page, 42. "Next thing I see him freeze and that's when the cop shot him in the back."

A source said that the man who was shot was hopping between two cars when he was shot.

Police could not immediately confirm that account, but said that a .45 caliber handgun was recovered at the scene.

Two shell casings were also recovered.

By: DNAinfo

Man Critically Injured In Harlem Shooting

MANHATTAN — A man was shot and critically injured in Harlem Sunday evening, authorities said.

The shooting unfolded at 2698 Frederick Douglass Blvd., near West 143rd Street, just before 6:30 p.m.

The victim was rushed to Harlem Hospital in critical condition, according to the FDNY.

By: DNAinfo

Red light’ for scofflaw patrol cops

NYPD brass is cracking down on cops who go through red lights while on patrol by forcing officers to fork over $50 fines if they get caught on camera and can't prove they were on legitimate police business.

A Manhattan cop said he was hit with a summons three months ago after he ran a red light to stop a vehicle with a potential drunken driver.

The motorist was sober but tired, so no ticket was issued, and the cop didn't make a note of the stop in his memo book, he said.

When the precinct received the red-light summons, his supervisor grilled him — then ordered him to pay the fine.

"They didn't believe me," the cop said. "Where was the proof? I had to pay it out of my own pocket."

His union blasted the policy.

"We were trained in the Police Academy that the greatest single deterrent to crime is police omnipresence, which translates into catching the bad guys by surprise," said Pat Lynch, head of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

"If that means circling a block with suspicious activity or passing a light for the sake of catching a perp off guard, then so be it."

By BRAD HAMILTON

Massive Fire Rips Through Morningside Avenue Building

MANHATTAN — A huge fire tore through a vacant Harlem building Sunday morning — leaving more than a hundred firefighters battling the flames for nearly five hours, fire officials said.

The three-alarm blaze broke out at 92 Morningside Ave., near West 122nd Street, just before 2:30 a.m., according to the FDNY.

Heavy flames ripped through the basement, extending to the third floor of the seven-story building.

"Building on the corner is a raging inferno," tweetedTobias McGuigan. "Smoke and flames are crazy intense. Hope everyone is ok there."

It took nearly five hours for the 133 firefighters who raced to the scene to bring the fire under control.

"Wow FDNY is still at it," McGuigan tweeted. "No doubt about it, when firefighters go to work they really earn that salary."

There were no reports of injuries, the FDNY said.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the blaze, the cause of which is under investigation.

By: DNAinfo

FBI hunting bank robber

The FBI and police are looking for a fedora-wearing bank robber who apparently struck four times in one week, targeting banks on both sides of the Hudson River.

Two banks in New York City and two in northern New Jersey were hit, the FBI said. In each case, the description and video of the robber was very similar.

Authorities said a man robbed the Chase branch at 125 River Street in Hoboken, N.J., on March 19, 2012, by passing a note to a teller.

Then on March 21, someone robbed a Chase branch at 109 Delancey Street in Manhattan, the FBI. A few hours later, a man with a similar description robbed a Capitol One Bank branch at 41-60 Main Street in Queens.

Then on March 22, a robber hit the Chase at 460 Bergen Boulevard in Palisades Park, N.J., the FBI said. After that robbery, the thief dropped a bag of cash, authorities said.

Authorities released security camera images of the suspect in three of the robberies. The FBI describes the suspect as an Asian man in his 20s to mid-30s, between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 2 inches tall, about 170 pounds with a slim build, with short dark hair, and a clean-shaven face. He was wearing black fedora hat, black leather jacket, black framed or pewter framed Ray Ban sunglasses, North Face backpack, and black and white shoes.

If you have any information, call the FBI in New Jersey at 973-792-3000 or in New York at 212-384-1000.

By: MyFoxNY.com

Protesters Speak Out Against NYPD Tactics At OWS Rally

Occupy Wall Street protesters sounded off against NYPD tactics at a rally Saturday in Zuccotti Park before undertaking a march to police headquarters.

Dozens of protesters have been arrested over the last week since the Occupy Wall Street movement marked its six-month anniversary last Saturday.

"In the last week we've seen more police brutality against the Occupy Wall Street movement than we ever have before," said one protester. "So we're standing up against that, in solidarity with other communities in New York who have been subject to police brutality."

Among those involved in the rally were family members of Inwood resident John Collado, who was shot and killed by police in September. Police say he put a plainclothes detective in a choke hold while the officer was trying to make an arrest, but family members say the officer never identified himself and are calling for a federal probe.

A grand jury decided not to indict the officer earlier this week.

"What really kills us is that everyone is really saying he did a good job, it's okay what he did, it's fine for him to continue shooting his gun on an unarmed person - which is wrong," said Collado's niece, Banayz Taveras.

"Lives have been taken, families are being shaken because of irresponsibility and officers not being trained appropriately and then being thrown out to the streets and not being able to handle split-minute decisions," said Michael Jimenez, a friend of Collado's.

Saturday's rally came a day after protestors clashed with police during their second of seven weekly Friday events in preparation for May Day.

Organizers say they've been working on various street theatrics and protesting tactics.

"The actual training is just to have some creative tactics," one protester said. "We have one where we all melt at once. We have one where we all jump around, and there's a really fun one where we charge, stop, and fall back. It's just kind of getting cohesive in our communication in the streets."

"That requires work," added another protester. "That requires getting in shape. That requires getting us to loosen up, to feel comfortable, confident, and empowered to be in the streets. But also to make sure that everybody is safe."

Occupy Wall Street protestors have had several recent run-ins with police, including last weekend's clashes in Zuccotti Park, where dozens of protestors were arrested.

By: NY1 News

Man Dies After Falling Onto Subway Tracks During Fight

Police are investigating the death of a man who got into a fight on a Brooklyn subway platform, fell onto the tracks, and was killed by an oncoming train.

Investigators say Josh Basin, 20, and another man fell on the tracks at the Bedford Avenue stop in Williamsburg on Friday night.

Basin, of Howard Beach, was riding the L train at about 10 p.m. Friday when he got into an argument with another man, according to police. Authorities say the man started a fight with Basin as they exited the train, and the two fell into the tracks where Basin was struck by an oncoming train.

Basin was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The second man got away and is being sought by police.

Anyone with information is being asked to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.

By: Amanda Farinacci

Police On Upper East Side Seeking Bicycle-Riding iPhone Thief

Police on the Upper East Side are looking for a man who's been stealing people's iPhones - from his bicycle.

Authorities say the suspect rides his bicycle up to people on the street and snatches away their Apple phone.

Police have released surveillance video of the suspect taken just before the most recent incident on Tuesday afternoon. The theft took place at the East River and East 94th Street.

Police say the man has been involved in 18 robberies since January.

All of them have taken place on the Upper East Side, and all but one of the victims have been women.

Police are asking anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.

By: NY1 News

Police Shoot Knife-Wielding Bronx Woman

A Bronx woman was shot by police Friday after allegedly throwing knives at two officers.

Sources tell NY1 the officers were called to the woman's house located at 3701 LaSalle Avenue in Westchester Square around 10 a.m.

NY1 is told the 42-year-old woman's boyfriend called police, saying she locked herself in the bathroom and was stabbing herself.

Sources say when officers arrived, the woman threw two knives at the officers.

They say one of the officers then opened fire, hitting the woman in the leg.

She's said to be in stable condition at a local hospital.

By: NY1 News

Elderly woman falls into backyard hole

An elderly woman was rescued from a backyard hole on Staten Island on Friday

The woman fell about 10 feet down the hole on Richmond Terrace in the Randall Manor section of Staten Island. It happened shortly before noon.

Rescuers removed her from the hole on a stretcher about a half-hour later. They were communicating with the woman.

No word on how she ended up there in the first place.

Fire at firehouse

Firefighters in southern New Jersey had to extinguish a blaze in a firehouse.

The Gloucester County Times reports the fire appears to have broken out on the second floor of the Woodbury Heights firehouse on Elm Avenue early Friday.

The volunteer fire company's website says two pumpers, one rescue pumper and an ambulance are stored in the building.

There's no word on injuries.

By MyFoxNY.com