CB11 opposes Williamsbridge Rd. drug rehab center
2500 Williamsbridge Road. Schneps Media/ Alex Mitchell
Victim’s gender identity questioned in Fordam Hill murder
BY MATT TRACY
An individual who was
found dead, tied up and with
multiple slash marks, in a
Bronx apartment on Friday,
September 13 may have been
transgender, according to
neighbors. The grisly homicide
case only emerged after a
foul stench permeated through
walls in the apartment house
for days.
Police have so far reported
that a man was found dead
with his ankles tied to his
waist and slash marks on his
wrists and torso at an apartment
at 2323 Creston Avenue
between Field Place and
East 183rd Street in Fordham
Heights.
But the case has been surrounded
by confusion over the
victim’s gender identity in the
wake of a neighbor speculating
to Spanish-language news
outlet Telemundo that the perpetrator
might have thought
the victim was a woman, but
then learned the victim was
biologically male. The Tele-
Given the lack of a clear response from the NYPD, there is confusion over
the gender identity of a person found dead at this residence at 2323
Creston Avenue in the Bronx on September 13.
Photo courtesy of Gay City News/Google Maps
mundo report concluded that
the victim was possibly transgender
and had been spotted
around the neighborhood by
residents.
Police would not verify the
victim’s gender.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, S 2 EPTEMBER 20-26, 2019 BTR
On the same day the body
was found, cops questioned
37-year-old Charles Votaw,
who resides in the same
building in Apartment 11A,
and on Saturday, September
14 he was hit with charges of
tampering with physical evidence,
concealment of a human
corpse, and second-degree
assault. The NYPD told
PIX 11 that Votaw was served
in a position with responsiblity
“over the building,” but
would not confi rm he was the
super. Police would not confi
rm what, if any, role Votaw
played in overseeing the
building.
An NYPD spokesperson
confi rmed on Tuesday, September
17 that the victim did
not reside in that building, but
police would not provide further
details because the victim’s
family had not yet been
contacted.
District Attorney Darcel
Clark’s offi ce did not immediately
respond to a request for
further details regarding the
case, including whether or not
investigators are looking into
potential hate crime charges
if the victim was indeed transgender.
The NYC Anti-Violence
Project said in a tweet on Monday,
September 16, “AVP has
learned of, and is looking into,
a potential homicide of a trans
woman in the Bronx.” Later
that same day, the Sylvia Rivera
Law Project also tweeted,
saying, “We are just learning
that a trans woman was found
killed in an apartment in the
Bronx.”
Both AVP and the Sylvia
Rivera Law Project further
suggested that media reports
have misgendered the victim.
Less than an hour after its
initial tweet, the Sylvia Rivera
Law Project seemed to backtrack,
saying that it “shared
information as it was materializing
and wish to correct
what we initially posted in our
fi rst tweet.” What exactly was
corrected is not clear, but the
organization stated that the
New York Post still must be
held accountable for misgendering
the victim “if indeed
this individual was a trans
person.”
(The above article appeared
on the Gay City News website.)
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Pelham Parkway residents
are fi ghting a proposal to convert
2500 Williamsbridge Road
into a drug treatment facility
on Monday, September 16.
Carnegie Hill Institute presented
the proposal at Community
Board 11’s Health and
Social Services Committee
regarding their intention to
open a drug treatment center
in the one-story corner property
between Hone and Mace
avenues on Tuesday, September
10.
Just a week later, CB11 responded
to the proposal, airing
a laundry list of concerns
with the 822-licensed, statefunded
program.
First on the list was that
the proposed property is surrounded
by multiple schools.
P.S. 89 is located across the
street on Mace Avenue.
The school’s playground is
directly opposite the proposed
site.
CB11 also listed Mazzei
Playground, St. Catharine
Academy, St. Lucy’s School,
Christopher Columbus High
School, the New York Institute
For Special Education as
schools in the surrounding
area in a letter to the property’s
real estate brokers, in an
effort to discourage the project.
“Those in attendance felt
that the proposed program by
Carnegie Hill is unnecessary
and a potential threat to our
community’s welfare,” the letter
stated.
CB11 chairman Al D’Angelo
also expressed his own concerns
regarding the proposal.
“We already have a number
of treatment facilities within
the community board,” said
D’Angelo.
Specifi cally, CB 11 has nine
active and certifi ed chemical
dependence treatment centers
within its boundaries, with
another located just outside,
according to the chairman.
“Another issue that concerns
us is the poor transit in
the area,” D’Angelo said.
That portion of Allerton is
only serviced by the Bx 8 bus.
The nearest subway stop is
the #5 IRT Pelham Parkway
station, which D’Angelo fears
will bring unwanted, wandering
interactions with the bordering
school as well as other
residents in the area.
The property, which was
originally listed at $750,000 according
to CB 11 district manager
Jeremy Warneke, jumped
to $1 million when the treatment
facility operators showed
an interest in purchasing the
vacant property.
Currently, Carnegie Hill
Institute operates two facilities
in Manhattan; one is
listed as an outpatient clinic
while the other is considered
an opioid outpatient clinic,
according to the NYS Offi ce
of Alcoholism and Substance
Abuse Services.
The private company
sought to acquire 3134 E.
Tremont Avenue to expand its
822 program into the Bronx
earlier this summer, but the
property’s owner, Dr. Owen
Golden, under intense community
pressure, declined the
sale.
Similar dissent was expressed
by CB11 to Carnegie
Hill Institute as well.
“I highly expect a motion
to be made at CB11’s general
board meeting requesting that
the proper permitting to turn
2500 Williamsbridge Road
into a drug treatment facility
be denied,” the letter stated.
“Our concern is the placement
of these facilities near
schools and similar locations,”
Councilman Mark Gjonaj said,
noting that he isn’t opposed to
treatment centers in his district,
rather their placement.
That sentiment was reiterated
by Assemblywoman Nathalia
Fernandez.
“Obviously in this case the
location being across from a
school is the big issue,” she
noted. East Bronx activist Egidio
Sementelli has organized
a protest in front of 2500 Williamsbridge
Road for Saturday,
September 21.
Calls to Carnegie Hill Institute
for comment were not returned
prior to press time.