Five Firefighters Hurt in Sunset Park Blaze

SUNSET PARK — Five firefighters were hurt when a heavy fire ripped through a one-story commercial building in Sunset Park Tuesday evening, authorities said.

More than 100 firefighters responded to 124 57th St., between First and Second avenues, after the second-alarm blaze broke out about 6 p.m., FDNY officialssaid.

Five firefighters suffered minor injuries. Two were treated at the scene and three were taken to Lutheran Medical Center in stable condition, the FDNY said.

The blaze began in the basement of the building and spread to the first floor, officials said.

It took firefighters about an hour to bring the fire under control.

By: DNAinfo

Cops seize $5M of cocaine in Times Square gang raid

There's no business like snow business — not in Times Square, where over 100 pounds of cocaine were seized in a dramatic drug gang takedown, officials said today.

The drugs were recovered from three bulging suitcases that were walked out of the Crowne Plaza Hotel like so much tourist luggage, with cops swooping in from their surveillance posts to bust six accused coke traffickers who'd turned the neighborhood into the Great White Way, authorities said.

The drugs, seized on Oct. 25, totaled 48 kilos and would have been worth $5 million on the street, officials estimated.

 

The six alleged traffickers have already been indicted on conspiracy and drug possession, according to Bridget Brennan, the city's Special Narcotics Prosecutor, and Joseph D'Amico, Superintendent of the state police, whose offices collaborated on the investigation.

State cops conducting surveillance at the hotel watched as at shortly after 6 p.m. Fernando Alvarado, 23, of The Bronx, left the hotel with a suitcase — later discovered to be holding 30 pounds of coke -- and placed it in the trunk of a waiting silver BMW, officials said.

Alvarado jumped into the passenger seat and the car sped off north, only to be stopped near 50th Street and Sixth Avenue. Alvarado and the driver, Gerinerdo Hernandez, 34, of The Bronx, were busted on the spot.

A short time later, a second man left the hotel, Luis Cuevas-Muniz, 25, of Tao Baja, Puerto Rico, also carrying a suitcase — this one holding some 66 pounds of cocaine.

Cops watched as Cuevas-Muniz jumped into a waiting livery cab with his massive suitcase and rode just one block before the cab stopped and he got out again — leaving the 66-pounds of coke in the cab — and walked back to the hotel, cops said.

As some cops followed the cab and its suitcase back at the hotel, Cuevas-Muniz was next seen back inside the hotel concourse with yet a third suitcase, this one holding the remainder of the 105 pounds of coke.

Investigators quickly grabbed two NYPD officers who happened to be nearby and were able to arrest Cuevas-Muniz on the spot. A man Cuevas-Muniz was talking to bolted, and one state police investigator chased him through the theater district and east toward Rockefeller Center, where he was lost in the holiday decorations-gazing crowds, according to a law enforcement source.

Meanwhile, the livery cab was pulled over at 57th Street and Eighth Avenue, and the driver, Roberto Alvarez, 37, of The Bronx, was also arrested.

Finally, back at the Crowne Plaza, more state cops also stormed the hotel room where the alleged traffickers had been staying and arrested two more defendants from inside the room: Kaleb Altiery-Vazquez, 23, of Winston Salem, NC, and Juan Alverio-Ruiz, 50, of Tao Baja.

In the room cops recovered plastic wrappings used to cover kilos of narcotics, multiple plane tickets in the defendants' names and cell phones, cops said.

The plane tickets showed that members of the group had travelled from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to White Plains, NY, with a stop in Orlando, Fla, cops said.

The defendants were being arraigned this morning before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon, who is ordering they be held without bail and setting Dec. 17 as their next appearance date.

Parking Lot Attendant Killed by Falling SUV in Financial District Garage

FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A parking lot attendant was killed by an SUV that fell from a lift in a Barclay Street garage Monday morning, authorities and witnesses said.

The accident took place about 7:10 a.m. in the garage at 233 Broadway, near Barclay Street.

The male victim, whose name and age have not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

"It looks like it rolled off the lift," said FDNY Battalion Chief David Simms, who added that the vehicle appeared to have fallen from a height of about 6 feet.

The accident is still under investigation, authorities said.

by Victoria Bekiempis, Jeanmarie Evelly,DNAinfo

Mobile Crane Collapses In Hell's Kitchen, No Injuries Reported

A mobile crane collapsed this morning in a vacant lot in Hell's Kitchen but no injuries were reported.

Fire officials say the crane, which was mounted on the back of a truck, fell around 8:45 a.m. at 438 West 38th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, near the exit from the Lincoln Tunnel.

The mobile crane tipped over as it tried to lift an air conditioning unit off of another truck to the top of a nearby building.

The crane fell over, into the street.

Passersby said they hear a large bang as the crane fell.

Another crane is being sent to West 38th Street to lift the fallen crane off of the truck. Traffic is closed off from the area.

By: NY1 News

NYPD: AMBER Alert Issued For Two Abducted Bronx Children

NEW YORK  – An AMBER Alert has been issued for two missing children in the Bronx following a domestic dispute, according to police.

Police said the suspect, Fitz Edwards, fired a gun before setting a home on fire. He then allegedly took off with the two young children in a car he jacked, police said.

According to police, Nahzir Edwards, approximately five years old, and Mlyliah Edwards, approximately two years old, were abducted on Barker Avenue at about 4 a.m. on Sunday.

Police have identified Edwards, 29, described as a black man with braided black hair. He is about 6′ tall with a slim build and was last seen wearing a dark jacket.

He is believed to be armed with a gun, police said.

The suspect is expected to be traveling in a grey 4-door sedan 2005 Honda Accord with NY license plate numberEWV6599. The license plate is the white empire version, police said.

Anyone with any information on this abduction is asked to call the New York City Police at (866) N Y S-AMBER or dial 911 to provide information on a report or sighting.

Fatal Brooklyn Accident Kills One, Injures Another; Alleged Driver Charged

A driver was charged Thursday following an alleged hit and run that killed a man and injured a woman in Brooklyn.

Investigators say the man and woman were crossing a street in East Williamsburg just after 5 a.m. Thursday when they were hit by a car driven by Adam Recio.

They were thrown into another lane, where the man was hit by a second vehicle.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The woman was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital.

Police say Recio took off and then abandoned his car, which was found a short time later.

He's charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and serious injury.

The driver of the second vehicle remained at the scene.

By: NY1 News

Second NYPD Officer In 3 Days Charged With Driving Drunk

NEW YORK  — A New York City police officer was arrested and charged with driving drunk in Queens Monday, police said.

This was the second case of drunken driving by police officers in New York City in three days, according to published reports.

Officer Ismile Althaibani, 29, was arrested around 3 a.m. in the Astoria section of Queens Monday while off duty, according to the NYPD. Police did not specify exactly where he was arrested.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated and refusing to take a breathalyzer test, police said.

Althaibani received a Purple Heart in 2004 after a roadside bomb shattered his left foot, according to a 2006 New York Times article. His brother is also an NYPD officer, the New York Times reported.

Early on Saturday morning, Officer Felix Recio was arrested for driving drunk in Queens, DNAInfo reported.

Recio was the officer who had his foot run over outside the Mercury Hotel in SoHo back in August, allegedly by Julien Chabbott, the owner of the social media site Line Snob and the boyfriend of reality TV star Stephanie Pratt, according to the New York Post.

Recio had just given Chabbott a parking ticket, and Chabbott allegedly tried to run him over with red his Ferrari Spyder, the Post reported.

Recio later announced plans to sue Chabbott for $10 million, and sought to have the charges against Chabbott upgraded from felony assault to first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, the Post reported.

Fire Breaks out at East 55th Street Apartment Building

MIDTOWN EAST — A fire broke out at an apartment building on East 55th Street and Second Ave. Monday afternoon, fire officials said.

The fire at 245 E. 55th St. started on the third floor at 1:49 p.m., fire officials said. It was brought under control shortly afterward.

It was not immediately clear whether there were any injuries.

A source said that a neighbor smelled the smoke and called 911, and that police were the first on the scene.

The entire back wall of the apartment was engulfed in flames when officials arrived. They evacuated the building because someone smelled gas, sources said.

"I was a little bit afraid," said Michael Holland, 42, who works in finance, who was sleeping when firefighters knocked on his door.

by Nicole Bode, Victoria Bekiempis, DNAinfo

Multiple Vehicle Crash Snarls Traffic Inside Lincoln Tunnel

Traffic woes continue to plague the Lincoln Tunnel this afternoon following yet another accident inside the underground link.

Port Authority officials say the latest crash involved five trucks and three cars inside the north tube.

Multiple injuries are reported.

As a result, the north tube has been closed to traffic.

Two-way traffic is now going in and out of the center tube.

The south tube is unaffected.

Earlier this morning, a crash involving two buses on the Manhattan-bound approach injured more than a dozen people this morning and led to extensive delays as a result.

New Jersey Transit says a bus operated by Martz Trailways rear-ended a New Jersey Transit bus traveling from Paramus to the Port Authority bus terminal.

At least 20 people were injured, two of them seriously.

Due to the delays, many passengers have decided to walk out of the tunnel into Manhattan.

Outbound traffic was temporarily shut down but has since been reopened.

 03:57 PM 

By: NY1 News

Police Seek Robbery Suspect Who Targets Small Shops

Police are trying to track down the man behind nearly a dozen recent armed robberies in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Investigators say the man has hit the same targets multiple times.

Police say he has robbed a yogurt shop in Park Slope three times, a Subway sandwich shop in Cobble Hill twice and a Park Slope laundromat twice.

Investigators say the man pulls a gun but has not hurt anyone.

The robberies all took place within the last month.

The man is described as being between 40 and 50 years old, about 5'11" tall, with black hair and brown eyes.

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.

Two Brooklyn Men Indicted For Allegedly Forging Government IDs

Two Brooklyn men were indicted Thursday for allegedly forging green cards and other forms of government identification.

Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes said authorities were tipped off to the scam and began the investigation last year.

Officials say Jose Mateo Castro and Leonel Escamillo ran the scam out of a bakery in Sunset Park.

They allege that Castro would take passport photos and $130 from buyers and then hand the pictures to Escamillo to make the fake documents.

A search of Escamillo's home found sophisticated equipment, along with a slew of phony ID cards.

"Forged federal ID can be used for identity theft, to obtain access to a work place and to other private places that are off limits to the general public," Hynes said.

Each man is charged with forgery and faces up to seven years in prison, as well as deportation back to Mexico.

By: NY1 News

Brooklyn - FDNY truck collide, 11 injured

One fire engine collided with another FDNY truck in Brooklyn this morning, injuring 11 firefighters, authorities said.

The collision happened around 7:45 a.m. at the intersection of Avenue J and East 103rd Street in Canarsie, officials said. One of the engines smashed through a resident's brick wall, but no civilians were immediately reported to be injured.

Four firefighters suffered serious injuries, while seven with listed with minor wounds, according to an FDNY spokesman. All of the injured firefighters were taken to Kings County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the FDNY said.



Photo Credit: @WillamsburgNews

Cops Wound Alleged Gunman in Wild Shootout in Queens,

QUEENSBRIDGE — Cops shot an armed ex-convict who opened fire on them outside a city housing building Friday night moments after trying to rob a man at gunpoint, police said.

An NYPD sergeant and two police officers shot Terrance Carew, 30, in the right thigh at 41-09 12th Street, near 41st Avenue, just before 9 p.m., police said.

Carew, who sources said was convicted of a shooting in 1999 and served 10 years in prison, was taken to Elmhurst General Hospital, where he was stable.

The three unidentified cops from Police Service Area 9 — who have a combined 28 years on the job — were treated for tinnitus at Elmhurst General Hospital and New York Hospital Queens.

The mayhem erupted when the cops were called to the Queensbridge Houses for a report of shots fired. When they arrived in a marked squad car, Carew, who stood amid shattered glass near a bus shelter, bolted, police said.

When Carew noticed the cops hot on his trail, he allegedly pulled a .380-caliber handgun and opened fire on them, police said.

That's when the cops shot back, striking him in the leg.

Carew, who allegedly robbed a 53-year-old man at gunpoint before cops arrived, was arrested, police said.

He was charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, attempted murder, robbery and a criminal possession of a loaded firearm.

The unidentified man who was allegedly robbed was not injured, police said.

By: DNAinfo