Four Hurt in Wall Collapse at UES Townhouse

MANHATTAN — Four workers were injured when a wall on the third floor of an Upper East Side townhouse partially collapsed Friday as it was being renovated, FDNY officials said.

Roughly a dozen workers had been removing bricks from a lower portion of the third floor at 222 E. 62nd St. to put a steel reinforcement beam in the wall when it buckled and collapsed at 11:30 a.m., fire officials said.

Three of the men on a scaffold at the time of the collapse dove for the third floor windows. Two made it inside and one didn't, said Deputy Fire Commissioner Thomas McKavanagh. The one that didn't was in serious, but stable condition. The other two suffered minor injuries. All three were taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

"The entire rear third floor wall collapsed onto [the crew]," McKavanagh said "Only three workers suffer[ed] the worst extent of the injuries."

For the three workers who dove off the scaffold, he said, "that probably saved them," adding, "they were able to get to a position where they didn't take the full brunt of the wall on their heads."

A fourth worker was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries, fire officials said.

"It sounded like a big snowball rolling down a mountain, then lots of dust," said a man who gave his first name as Juaquime, who was working on a nearby house when he saw the collapse.

A woman, who said her cousin was one of the injured workers, worried he may have broken both his legs. He also hurt his left arm, said Roza Galuspyan, 35. 

"He was buried in the bricks," she said. "He had total loss of memory. He couldn't remember the address even though he's been there for a month."

The single-family residence was in the midst of building a 3-story rooftop addition,according to Department of Buildings records.

The townhouse had sold last year for more than $4.5 million, according to city records.

Department of Buildings officials were on the scene but did not immediately respond for comment.

"Usually these types of buildings are very stable. They were built back in the 1800s," McKavanagh said of the landmark home. "It's when you start to disassemble them that you have to be careful."

By: DNAinfo

Sent from my iPhone

Elderly Woman Shot In Leg In Upper Manhattan

An 83-year-old woman was hospitalized Friday after being shot in the leg in Manhattan.

Officials said the woman was sitting on a park bench on Amsterdam Avenue in Harlem Friday morning when she was hit by a stray bullet.

Investigators said a retired police officer and another man were fighting about the officer's daughter when the officer's gun went off.

"I was in the shower so all I heard was a sound, a loud pop," said one witness.

"Everybody came after the bang came," said another. "Police, ambulance, everybody."

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the woman is said to be in good condition.

By: NY1 News

Police Shoot Carjack Suspect In Brooklyn

A suspected Brooklyn carjacker was in critical condition Friday after being shot by police.

Authorities say it happened around 10:30 a.m. on Weirfield Street in Bushwick.

Police say they initially got a call about a man breaking car windows.

When officers responded, they say the suspect tried to flee by committing a carjacking.

"They pull the car over. He - the individual who had been pointed out - gets out of the car; has a gun in his hand and begins to run. The officers pursue him. He turns with the weapon and one round is fired by the police officer," said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

"He shot him and then stood over him with his weapon - pointing at him, until all of the blue and white police officers came to arrest the guy who was on the floor," said one witness.

The suspect was taken to Elmhurst Hospital.

Commissioner Kelly says a gun was recovered at the scene.

Charges are pending.

By: NY1 News

Two Dead In Suspicious Chinatown Fire Were Shot, Police Say

NYPD detectives on Friday were treating a fatal Chinatown fire as a crime scene after the two victims were found shot.

The New York City Fire Department says around 10:40 a.m. crews were dispatched to a six-floor tenement located at 83 Henry Street in Chinatown.

Fire officials say there were two separate fires in the first floor apartment - one in the bedroom and one in another room.

Fire officials say the two women were found in the bedroom with heavy smoke.

At least 65 firefighters were called in to fight the fire which was contained within minutes.

The Medical Examiner will determine the victims' cause of death.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

By: NY1 News

Officer Sentenced to 5 Years for False Arrest

A federal judge ripped into a former police officer on Friday, saying it was "horrific" how the white officer tried to minimize his use of a racial epithet to describe a black man swept up in the NYPD's aggressive street stop program. The scolding came as Michael Daragjati was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for violating the unnamed victim's civil rights by falsely arresting him and for an unrelated off-duty extortion. The term was the recommended maximum under sentencing guidelines. The 33-year-old Daragjati, who pleaded guilty in January, had recently written U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz to plead for leniency. He described the anti-black slur as "not reserved for people of color" but instead used "as an ignorant reference to those people in the street because of their conduct and disrespect for the community and members of law enforcement." On Friday, Kuntz, who is black, called it the "the worst possible argument" for Daragjati to use in his own defense. "Your comments reveal a horrific truth," the judge said in a courtroom packed with the officer's family and supporters. The remarks show that the officer felt free "to denigrate anyone who would cross you," he said. Daragjati was charged last year amid a growing wave of criticism over the NYPD's strategy of stopping and frisking hundreds of thousands of people every year. Civil rights advocates say the effort has unfairly singled out young black men and other minorities, while the department calls it an essential crime-fighting tool. A criminal complaint said the officer was on patrol on Staten Island with a plainclothes anti-crime unit when he stopped a 31-year-old black man. It says the officer grabbed the man and frisked him but let him go after not finding any weapons or contraband. The man objected, demanding the officer's name and badge number and shouting insults as he walked away, authorities say. Hearing the insults, the officer and his partner chased after him and arrested him. Daragjati later lied in text messages to his sergeant and in a sworn statement by claiming the man had pushed him and fought back while he was being handcuffed, the complaint said. After two nights in custody, the man finally appeared in court, agreed to plead guilty to disorderly conduct and was released. Around the same time, investigators already eyeing Daragjati in an insurance fraud investigation intercepted a phone call between Daragjati and a woman. They say he was overheard complaining about having to work overtime to process the arrest and had "fried another (N-word)." "What?" the woman asked. "Another (N-word) fried," the officer said, according to investigators. "No big deal." Authorities also cited instances where the officer used the slur in other recorded conversations. At sentencing, Daragjati admitted that he used the slur because he was angry at the man, but he insisted that he wasn't a racist. "I used stupid words," he said. "When I saw them on paper, I was disgusted." But the judge cited evidence that suggested that the officer had a history of abuse, including an earlier complaint that he had told another black man, "Shut your (N-word) mouth." Rather than take the complaint as a warning to clean up his act, "You methodically destroyed your career," the judge said.

Driver Dies After Hitting Parked Truck on Belt Parkway

BROOKLYN — A driver was killed and his passenger was injured on the Belt Parkway early Saturday morning after their BMW smashed head-first into a parked truck. 

According to police, the 2012 BMW, being driven by a 23-year-old man, crashed directly into the tail end of a truck owned by the Department of Transportation that was parked on the roadway in Sheepshead Bay.

But the DOT said the truck was not theirs, and there was not any scheduled work being done on the parkway at that time.

An NYPD accident investigation report was still pending Saturday evening.

Police said the driver, who rode with a woman, 25, was headed eastbound on the parkway, between Exit 8 at Coney Island Avenue and Exit 9 at Knapp Street, when he collided with the service vehicle at 5:55 a.m. Police said the truck had its flashers turned on, but they were unable to say where on the roadway the truck had been parked, pending investigation paperwork.

According to police, the victims were both transported to Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn. The driver was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, but the passenger was in stable condition, police said.

The victim's identity was not released by police, who had not yet notified family.

By: DNAinfo

Body recovered from boating collision of L.I.

Suffolk police say the body of a boater who vanished into the water after a boat crash off Long Island has been found.

Authorities believe the operator of the 25-foot skater boat was drunk when the vessel slammed into the back of a larger 38-foot Hatterus -- the Hatterus is a recreational fishing vehicle named the Silver Bullet.

"Three people went into the water, two people were recovered," said Chris Hatton Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau.

The crash happened just under the Robert Moses main span bridge on Long Island's Southern coast. The distress call was received just after 4:50 a.m. Saturday morning.

When emergency crews arrived, the skater boat was sinking and they quickly pulled its operator, 26-year-old Brian Andreski and another passenger out of the water.

Christopher Manino, who was sitting in the back of the Silver Bullet, had also fallen into the water. His lifeless body was later recovered after a nearly 12-hour search.

"The driver of the speedboat was boating while intoxicated, that driver has been arrested," said Det. Matt Sullivan of the Suffolk P.D.

Family and friends of the missing boater looked on helplessly as dive teams scoured the waters of Great South Bay off Captree Island.

There were five men on the Silver Bullet when the Skater crashed into it. Friends told Fox 5 News they were on their way to a fishing tournament early Saturday morning when the accident happened.

"It's terrible," said Raymond Winberry.

Winberry is friends with the owner of the Silver Bullet. He joined with other neighbors and good samaritans who helped search for the missing boater.

Christopher Mannino was 39-years-old from West Islip. Andreski, the operator of the Skater boat, was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. It's unclear if he will face additional charges now that Mannino's body has been recovered.

By: MyFoxNY.com

Brooklyn Still Hit by Power Outages, Restoration Promised

NEW YORK CITY— Power outages that struck neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens on Friday continued into Saturday afternoon, according to Con Edison.

BROOKLYN — Roughly 545 customers were without service in the early afternoon, nearly a third of the 1,700 that originally lost power on Friday. The outages were brought on by the week's heat wave that brought temperatures to the brink of triple digits, Con Edison said, that left many indoors and seeking respite in front of air-conditioners.

Of the customers without power, 454 of those out of service were in Brooklyn, most of them in South Williamsburg and Borough Park, down from 1,400 customers reported on Friday. Ninety remained without electrical service in Queens, most of them in South Ozone Park.

A spokesperson for Con Edison, Alfonso Quiroz, said Friday that some of the affected areas were not experiencing complete outages, but had less power than normal.

"We're asking people to absolutely conserve," he said. "Don't run an AC too long, make sure the doors are closed, do not leave iPads plugged in because it continues to pull power."

"We have 8 million people in this city, and it continues to pull," Quiroz said of the pressure on the city's electricity supply. "Simple things like this are where we need them to cut back."

Con Edison predicted that power will be restored to most of the still affected customers by 7 p.m. Saturday, according to its website., 

Police Investigate Anti-Semitic Message Written On Williamsburg Street

Police are investigating anti-Semitic graffiti found in a heavily Hasidic neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Authorities said the graphic message was found written in chalk on Berry Street in Williamsburg Tuesday morning.

It's the latest in a string of bias incidents directed at the Brooklyn Jewish community but that doesn't make it any less shocking to some.

"They're all very upset also," said one person. "They've heard about it, I'm sure, in the other areas. But when it comes to your neighborhood, you know, it's totally something different. I've heard about it but just to see it, it really gets me sick."

The NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force is looking into the incident.

Child Struck, Killed By Minivan In Bronx

A 4-year-old boy was struck and killed by a minivan on Topping Avenue in the Bronx Tuesday night.

Police said that the 2010 Chrysler minivan was traveling northbound along Topping Avenue at approximately 6 p.m. Tuesday when it struck 4-year-old Ebrahim Kebe in front of 1759 Topping Ave.

EMS responded to the scene and transported Kebe to Bronx Lebanon Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police.

Police said there is no criminality suspected in the incident.

An investigation is ongoing.

By: NY1 News

Harlem Residents Complain About Scope Of NYPD Checkpoints

Police barricades meant to crack down on drug-related gang violence in Harlem are now the source of controversy themselves.

For the last two weeks, police have been putting up metal barricades at 129th Street between Fifth and Seventh Avenue to check IDs of people going in and out of the blocks.

If individuals do not live on the block, they have to get a resident to come and vouch for them.

Police said the barricades were set up following the shooting of a 25-year-old man while he was playing basketball earlier this month.

Authorities said they received word from community leaders that there was going to be some sort of retaliation from gang members because of the shooting.

Some locals say it is a good measure because police are stopping violence, but others say they are concerned because it is like putting the entire community on lockdown.

"Some people have bags, they have to put their groceries down to show ID? I don't think that's right, do you?" said one local. "I'm an old woman, I can't be showing my ID every time I walk."

"They screen people, but then you've got other people that are new to the block that come in vehicles and I've seen them waving through, you know, so that's one of the downsides of the checkpoint, that it creates selective screening and stuff like that," said one resident. "I don't think it's effective, really."

Ron Sullivan, chairperson for Harlem Mother's Save, said there are pros and cons.

"It gives the community a little bit of a sense of safety. Then the other side is it's a little troubling that it has to be at this extreme," Sullivan said. "You have a lot of people who are just going to and from, kids coming home from school, hanging out, getting stopped for no reason."

Police set up the barricades on 129th Street once again tonight, and NY1 has reached out to the NYPD to find out how long the checkpoints will continue.

By: NY1 News

$12,000 Reward Offered In Elderly Bronx Woman's Murder

Officials offered a $12,000 reward Monday for information leading to the killer of an elderly woman found dead in her Bronx apartment over the weekend.

Investigators say a relative found Evelyn Shapiro, 88, dead Saturday morning inside her fifth-floor apartment at the Pelham Parkway Houses in Allerton, where she had lived for more than 50 years.

Shapiro's body was found on the floor with head trauma.

Investigators say Shapiro's door was unlocked and there were grocery bags scattered about, an indication that she had just returned from shopping.

Police were looking into robbery as a possible motive but would not say if anything was stolen.

Neighbors who live doors away from Shapiro's apartment said they were concerned for their safety.

"The person that did it is really a monster to do it to an 88-year-old lady. How could he have the heart to do it to someone so nice," said Johnny Berrios, a neighbor. "I had to make sure my doors are locked, make sure no one is going to break in. I don't know, it's hard I have to always be looking at my back and make sure nothing is gonna happen to me. 

"Everyone in my family is very nervous and worried that something like this would happen and nobody knows how it happened. It happened so suddenly and no one knows who did it," said neighbor Richard Santana.

The residents said Shapiro's murder has highlighted the lack of surveillance cameras at the Pelham Parkway Houses. They said for years they have been told there is simply no funding.

On Tuesday, people will have the chance to raise that concern once again during an emergency meeting to discuss Shapiro's death.

Anyone with information about the case is being asked to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577-TIPS, by texting TIP577 to CRIMES, or by going toNYPDCrimeStoppers.com.

By: Natasha Ghoneim

State Police Release Results Of Seatbelt Crackdown

New York State police reported significant results from their crack down on unbuckled drivers upstate and on Long Island.

Officials said from May 21 to June 3, state police ticketed nearly 12,700 drivers during the "Buckle Up New York" campaign.

800 of those tickets were issued for child restraint violations.

State police have operated the campaign twice annually for the past eight years.

In 2011, more than 300,000 tickets were given out to people violating New York's seatbelt law.

By: NY1 News

Hit-Run Driver Killed While Fleeing in Queens

A driver died early Saturday after he tried to flee the scene of an accident in Brooklyn and ended up hitting several parked cars in Queens, causing his own car to roll over, police said. 

Police say the 24-year-old man was driving a 2010 Toyota when he got into a minor vehicle accident at the intersection of Crescent Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn at about 3 a.m.

The driver fled eastbound on Atlantic and hit several parked cars at 88th Street in neighboring Woodhaven, Queens, including a livery cab which caused his own car to overturn, police said.

The driver, ejected from the vehicle, was found unconscious and unresponsive. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

"It sounded like an explosion," said a neighbor who heard the crash. 

A female passenger was also in the car, according to police. She sustained minor injuries.

The driver has not been identified. Police are continuing to investigate.

By:  NBC New York

NYPD Officer Hospitalized After Plunge

A New York City police officer was hospitalized with a fractured skull after tumbling from a fire escape while chasing a crime suspect in Brooklyn.

Police say the 22-year-old officer dropped about 15 feet. He also broke his collarbone.

The Daily News and New York Post report that the incident happened just before 9 p.m. in Brooklyn's Brownsville section.

The officer was hospitalized at Kings County Hospital.

Police say an 18-year-old man was arrested by other officers on the scene.

Elderly woman found bludgeoned to death in the Bronx

Police are investigating the killing of an elderly woman in the Bronx Saturday morning.

88-year-old Evelyn Shapiro, who was well-known, was found dead by a relative at her Pelham Parkway housing project on Williamsbridge Road.

Shapiro was found bludgeoned to death on the floor of her apartment with fresh groceries strewn across the floor around her unconscious body and the front door unlocked.

Police said she suffered blunt force trauma to her head. She was pronounced dead on the scene by first responders who arrived at the apartment at 9:55 a.m.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. released a statement praising Shapiro as a "well-known pillar of her community" and vowed to help find her murderer.

No arrests have been made. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

By: MyFoxNY.com

Swastikas painted in several locations including synagogue

 At least five swastikas were discovered Friday in various locations throughout Borough Park, Brooklyn.

A resident alerted Assemblyman Dov Hikind of one swastika on a synagogue on 16th Ave.

A search around the neighborhood turned up four more including one at a grocery store and another on a van, said Hikind.

"What kind of sick person does this in a neighborhood of Holocaust survivors? This is yet another example of the type of hate crimes that result from bigoted rhetoric. There will be no tolerance for hatred here and our community will address this from top to bottom, added Hikind.

The swastikas were found at 4609 16th Ave., 4619 16th Ave., 4423 16th Ave., 4623 18th Ave., and 42nd between 15th and 16th on a van.

The NYPD hate crimes unit is investigating.

Anyone with information about the person or persons who painted the anti-Semitic symbols is encouraged to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers at any of the following:

www.nypdcrimestoppers.com

Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477)

Text your tips to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577

Woman Killed By Police After Brooklyn Car Chase

Police are investigating after a city police officer shot and killed a 23-year-old woman following a rush-hour car chase in Brooklyn.

Investigators say the woman was driving a stolen car that ran several red lights and crashed into a minivan in East Flatbush around 5:30 p.m.

Police say one officer tried to get into the passenger side of the stolen car, but was pushed backward when the woman opened the door.

They say another officer, who had his gun drawn, got in on the driver's side and tried to put the car in park with his other hand when the gun fired, hitting the woman in the chest.

Lawmakers who came to the scene expressed concern and say they want more details.

"The police have a version of what happened. The streets have a different version. That version I don't like. I'm not happy with what I'm hearing. So I'm going to wait a little while, try to gather some more information, and then figure out what the next movements are going to be," said City Councilman Jumaane Williams.

"Based on what I was told by the eyewitness, this appears to be a very questionable shooting," said State Assemblyman Nick Perry.

Police say the woman had eight prior arrests, including attempted murder, and had a suspended license.

She was out on bail and had a court hearing set for Friday.

The two officers were placed on administrative duty pending an investigation.

By: NY1 News

Elderly man beaten into coma

A Long Island man is under arrest in a brutal beating that left an elderly man in a coma.

Nassau County Police say that Josue Bonilla, 23, of New Cassel was seen yelling and then knocking down the victim on Grayson St.

Police say Bonilla then began kicking the victim on his head and body while going through his pockets. He then ran away.

The attack took place at about 8:45 p.m. on April 28, 2012.

The unidentified 68-year-old victim was rushed to a nearby hospital with severe head trauma. Police say the Hicksville man suffers from dementia and Alzheimer's disease and remains in a coma.

Police were able to track down Bonilla on Thursday. He is charged with robbery and assault. He is expected to be arraigned on Friday in Hempstead.

Detectives request anyone with information regarding the attack to contact the Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. Police say that all callers will remain anonymous.

By: MyFoxNY.com

Car Slams into Macy's on Staten Island

Several people were injured when a car slammed into a Macy's store at the Staten Island Mall, according to police.

The crash happened shortly after 8 p.m. Friday.

At least six people were hurt. Two of the injured were transported to local hospitals.

Their injuries appear to be non-life threatening.

It's not clear what caused the car to careen into a cab and then the department store on Richmond Avenue. Officials told NBC 4 New York that they are investigating reports that the driver had a seizure.

Shoppers at the popular mall described the chaotic scene.

"I heard a big explosion, like a bomb going off," said Cortney Fletcher, of New Springville. "And I looked to go see what happened and I see all the glass falling."

Police are investigating.

By: NBC 4 New York

Hasidic Jew Fired from NYPD Over Beard Length: Report

An Orthodox Jew who was weeks away from becoming a New York City police officer says he has been kicked out of the police academy for refusing to trim his beard.

Former recruit Fishel Litzman, of Monsey,tells the Daily News he was fired Friday after multiple confrontations with the department over the length of his whiskers.

 

Litzman is Hasidic and believes that cutting his beard is forbidden by God.

 

NYPD rules usually require officers to be clean-shaven. The department makes exceptions for beards kept for religious purposes, but even then only allows 1 millimeter worth of growth.

 

"I don't understand what the problem would be," said Litzman.

 

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the department's rules are reasonable and Litzman was aware of them when he signed up.

 

Litzman was first cited in January for his unkempt beard. He was a month away from receiving his shield when he was fired.

 

"I always wanted to be a police officer," said Litzman, a 38-year-old father of five who speaks Hebrew and Yiddish and was once a paramedic.

 

His attorney, Nathan Lewin, said the police department knew when Litzman applied that he would not trim his beard.

 

And now, said Lewin, it's a case of religious discrimination.

 

Lewin did not immediately respond to telephone and emails messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

 

Like observant Muslim and Sikh officers, Hasidic officers are allowed to keep their beards for religious reasons but must keep them neat and trimmed.

Police Probe Fatal Queens Shooting

An early morning shooting in Queens left one man dead Saturday.

Police said officers responded to a 911 call of a man shot around 2 a.m. Saturday on Ruscoe Street in Jamaica.

They said they found the 34-year-old in the street, shot once in the torso.

He was taken to Jamaica Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577 or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

By: NY1 News

Family of 5 saved from 2-alarm Bronx fire

Fire officials say five members of a family were saved from the two-alarm fire that ravaged the top floor of a building in the Bronx early Saturday morning.

The family of five was trapped in their sixth floor apartment when the fire broke out.

The mother was able to escape with her infant son out immediately, but rescuing the father and two young children, both under the age of 5, proved to be much more difficult for firefighters.

FDNY Lieutenant William Kearns of Ladder 56 explained what firefighters saw when they arrived at the apartment.

"We heard popping and it turned out to be the bricks almost exploding because it was so hot, it was popping," said Kearns.

Firefighters from Ladder 56 arrived at the Bronx apartment building on 50 East 191st Street at 3:30 a.m. to find heavy smoke and raging flames. Greeting them inside was a family with no way out.

"As we arrived on the second floor we met the mother who was distraught, crying saying my two babies and husband is in the apartment," said Kearns.

The massive fire was almost too much to bear by the time firefighters reached the sixth floor apartment. Firefighters had trouble getting water to the floor because of the height of the building.

Crews needed to use a fire extinguisher to hold the fire back. As they entered the apartment, they found the 28-year-old father badly burned, buy still alive.

Firefighter Chris O'Brien said, "In hallway just beyond kitchen, we heard some moans and we found him lying on side. We were able to pull him out past the kitchen."

The firefighters continued inside and found a 3-year-old girl unconscious in bed and her 1-year-old sister in her crib.

Fire investigators believe the fire began in the kitchen and they are working to pinpoint exactly how. Firefighters were able to get the fire under control at 4:00 a.m.

Neighbors were left to assess the severity of the fire and those who were injured.

"I saw him in the elevator," said one neighbor. "His body was darkened from the soot and smoke. I turned away because I didn't want to see how badly injured he was."

The family was taken to Jacobi Medical Center. The father and the three kids suffered the worst of it and they are currently in critical condition.

Three firefighters also sustained minor injuries.

By: MyFoxNY.com

Teen dies after falling off cliff in N.J.

A 16-year-old teen died after he fell off a cliff in New Jersey on Friday night.

Police said they received a call from the boy's friend from Palisades Interstate Park north of the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee.

Family members say the teen, John Graniello of Fort Lee, was with a 16-year-old Edgewater girl when he fell around 9:40 p.m. Friday

The Fort Lee Fire Department, the East Bergen Rappel team, Fort Lee EMS and police and the NYPD were able to locate the victim near a short distance from Henry Hudson Drive.

He responders had a difficult time reaching the teen at the bottom of the ravine due to the time of night, remote location, and cliff-side hazards.

The cause of death is under investigation, but officials say the teen has gone past a safety railing when he fell.

By: MyFoxNY.com

Police Seek Gunman In Deadly Triple Shooting Near Columbia

Investigators need help finding a man suspected of gunning down three Manhattan residents Thursday.

Police have surveillance video of a man they said was sitting in the back seat of a car Thursday on Riverside Drive, when he executed Luis Catalan, Amaury Rodriguez and Heriberto Suazo and then walked away.

A passerby flagged down a police car after noticing the bodies inside the parked BMW, which police say belonged to Rodriguez.

No weapon has been found and no drugs were in the car, according to authorities

Police said the victims may have been killed in retaliation for stealing from a drug dealer.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577 or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

By: NY1 News

1 Dead, 1 Seriously Hurt in Bronx Car Crash

One person died and another was seriously injured in a car accident in the Bronx early Monday, authorities said. 

Police say a Nissan Maxima traveling southbound on Givan Avenue near Palmer Avenue struck two parked cars around 5 a.m. 

A male passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The 20-year-old male driver of the car was taken to Jacobi Medical Center in critical condition. 

The accident is under investigation. 

No other information was immediately available.

Fire Breaks Out at Madison Square Garden

MIDTOWN — A fire broke out in the generator room of the Madison Square Garden Monday morning, fire officials said.

Firefighters raced to the World's Most Famous Arena at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza just before 9:30 a.m. to battle a fire on the roof, an FDNY spokesman said.

It took 60 firefighters from 12 units about an hour to get the fire under control, the spokesman said.

There were no reported injuries or evacuations, officials said.

The cause was not immediately known.

Representatives from Maidson Square Garden did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

The Garden has no scheduled events until November, when Madonna performs there as part of her World Tour 2012, according to the MSG calendar.

By: DNAinfo

NYPD search for attempted kidnapping suspect

Police are looking for a man who attempted to kidnap a 7-year-old boy outside a school in Queens.

The incident happened on Tuesday, May 29 at 8:15 a.m. when the 33-year-old Mark Synclair tried to grab the boy in front of P.S. 192 in the Corona section.

The boy was able to struggle with Synclair to free himself and then ran from the scene.

Synclair is listed as 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds.

Anyone with information in regards to this suspect is asked to Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

By: MyFoxNY.com

One Dead, Three Injured In Harlem Basketball Court Shooting

Investigators are looking for clues in a shooting at a basketball game in Harlem that left one man dead Sunday.

Police say multiple shots were fired during a pickup game at a court near 129th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard.

One man was hit in the head and died later at Harlem Hospital.

Three others were wounded, including one person who was grazed in the head and two others who were hit in the leg.

Anyone with information about the case is being asked to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577-TIPS, by texting TIP577 to CRIMES, or by going toNYPDCrimeStoppers.com.

By: NY1 News

Robber Hits 3 BK Banks in 30 Minutes

Police say a busy crook robbed three Brooklyn banks in just 30 minutes.

The holdups happened on Friday afternoon in Midwood, all along  Kings Highway.

 

Police tell The New York Times the man never showed a weapon. He simply handed the tellers notes and waited for the money. 

 

Authorities say he walked off with cash from a teller at the first bank, left empty-handed from the second one, but scored again at the third bank.  

 

Police did not say how much was lost as they continue to search for a suspect.

Officials Investigate Fatal Williamsburg Fire

Investigators are looking for the cause of an apartment fire that killed a woman in Brooklyn.

Flames broke out in 59-year-old Ellen Lucky's Williamsburg apartment on Consylea Avenue around 9:15 p.m Friday night.

The New York City Fire Department said that the third and fourth floors of the four-story building were burning heavily when units arrived.

More than 100 firefighters were eventually called to battle the flames.

Four firefighters suffered minor injuries.

FDNY Deputy Chief Kevin Woods, who was at the scene, said the fire was so heavy, firefighters were forced to pull out of the building and attack it from the outside.

"We had to pull all members out of the building due to the amount of fire on the third and fourth floors," Woods said. "We went to an exterior attack with tower ladders. The fire also dropped down to the second and first floors."

Lucky was found unconscious after the flames were out and was pronounced dead at the scene.

"I was walking out of the subway and I said 'wow, what a disaster,'" said one witness. "That smell was horrible."

"There was blazing fire coming out of the upper right window," said a second witness. "Within minutes, the wind had taken to second part of the house."

The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

The deputy chief said that everyone who lived in the building has been displaced.

By: NY1 News

Small Fire at 1 World Trade Center

A small fire broke out on the 89th floor of the One World Trade Center building Saturday morning, according to fire officials.

Construction workers at the unfinished tower put out the fire, which started on a wooden deck. The FDNY responded to the fire and said they are wetting down the area as a precaution. 

 

The cause of the fire is unknown, and is being investigated.

 

The skyscraper is already over 1,200 feet high, with a few hundred feet more to go until it reaches its full height.

 

 It is the tallest in New York City, surpassing the Empire State Building in April.  

By: NBCnewYork

NYPD Looks For Suspect Who Allegedly Robbed Queens Chase Bank

Police are asking for help searching for the man who robbed a Chase Bank Wednesday in Queens.

They say the man walked up to a teller in a branch on 48th Street in Maspeth and handed him a note demanding money, before displaying a silver and black gun.

The robber allegedly fled with cash.

The suspect is said to be in his 40s, six feet tall, and 180 pounds.

He was wearing a light blue shirt, jeans, a Yankees hat and sunglasses.

06/01/2012  

By: NY1 News