12 THE QUEENS COURIER • FEBRUARY 4, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
police beat COMPILED BY JACOB KAYE
109th Precinct
Downtown Flushing, East
Flushing, Queensboro Hill,
College Point, Malba,
Whitestone, Beechhurst and Bay
Terrace
Teen arrested in connection
with string of robberies
inside Flushing park
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy they
believe to be a member of a trio behind
four midday robberies inside a Flushing
park this month.
Th e teen, whose name is being withheld
because of his age, was arrested on
Wednesday, Jan. 27, around 10 a.m., and
charged with grand larceny and criminal
possession of stolen property, according
to the NYPD.
Th e robberies began on Friday, Jan. 8,
around 1 p.m., when one of the suspects
ran up to a 21-year-old woman inside of
Kissena Corridor Park and snatched her
phone from her hand, cops said. Th e teen
ran out of the park and into a gold Toyota
Camry and drove away.
Th e next week, on Monday, Jan. 11,
around 5:50 p.m., two teens approached a
58-year-old man inside Kissena Corridor
Park, according to the authorities.
Th ey demanded he hand over his
money and then punched him in his face
THE CITY CLERK
OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
NOTICE O
OF SPECIAL ELECTION
Pursuant to provisions o
of Section 25(b)(1) of the Charter of the City of New
York York, notice notice is is hereby here
given that a special election will be held in the
Borough of Queens, County of Queens, on Tuesday, February 23, 2021,
between the hours of 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM for the purpose of electing a
candidate for the 31st Councilmanic District. Only registered voters in this
district are eligible to vote.
For any information on whether you are eligible to vote or where your poll site
is located, please call (212) V-0-T-E-N-Y-C. TDD for the hearing-impaired is
(212) 487-5496.
The City Clerk of the City of New York
before reaching into his pockets and taking
his wallet, which contained $70 in
cash and a gift card, cops said. Th ey then
ran off on foot.
Later that week, on Friday, Jan. 15,
around 2:20 p.m., three teens attacked
an 18-year-old boy as he rode his bike
through Kissena Corridor Park, according
to police. Aft er knocking the teen
off the bike, the trio stole his wallet,
which had $23 in cash and a debit card
inside it.
Almost immediately aft er that robbery,
the three teens approached a 59-year-old
man, punched him in the face and stole
his wallet, which had around $150 in
cash inside it, police said.
Later that day, around 5 p.m., the individuals
used the 18-year-old’s debit card
at Domenick’s Pizza, located at 87-74
Sutphin Blvd., according to the authorities.
Police say all three individuals are
between 16 and 19 years old.
Th e investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information in regard
to the identity of the suspects is asked
to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers
Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for
Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). Th e
public can also submit their tips by logging
onto the CrimeStoppers website at
nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter
@NYPDTips.
114th Precinct
Astoria, Long Island City,
Woodside and Jackson Heights
New Jersey man arrested
for setting fi re to his Astoria
hookah bar: FDNY
A New Jersey man was arrested and
charged for allegedly setting fi re to his
Astoria hookah bar, aptly named Ignited
Lounge, the FDNY announced on Jan.
25.
Asif Raja, 54, was charged with arson
earlier this month in Brooklyn federal
court aft er he allegedly set fi re to
his lounge, located at 30-27 Steinway
St., over the summer, according to Fire
Commissioner Daniel Nigro.
On Aug. 4, 2020, fi refi ghters were called
to Ignited aft er reports of a gas order at
the location were made around 10:15
p.m., the FDNY said.
When they arrived, fi refi ghters found
the lounge’s water sprinklers activated,
fi ghting several small fi res throughout
the lounge, according to the authorities.
FDNY members brought the incident
under control without any injuries.
Th e fi re marshals investigating the
scene found the fi re suspect and began
an investigation in collaboration with the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives.
Video recovered from inside the restaurant
allegedly shows Raja pouring a liquid
over several seats and tables inside Ignited
before lighting a fl ame and throwing it
onto the substance.
“We are extremely grateful that no one
was injured during this incident and for
the collaboration between all the law
enforcement agencies involved in bringing
this individual to justice,” Nigro said.
If convicted, Raja will be sentenced at
least fi ve years to, at most, 20 years in
prison.
112th Precinct
Forest Hills and Rego Park
FDNY rescues person who
was pinned underneath
E train in Forest Hills
A person was struck by a train and rescued
from underneath it in Forest Hills
Tuesday evening.
On Tuesday, Jan. 26, around 5 p.m., the
FDNY received reports of a person struck
by a train at the 71st Avenue train stop in
Forest Hills.
When fi refi ghters and EMS personnel
arrived to the station, they found a person
pinned underneath an E train, according
to the authorities.
Power was shut down and FDNY units
were sent onto the tracks to rescue the
person, according to the department.
Th e injured person was taken to Jamaica
Hospital and power to the line was restored
around 5:30 p.m. Th e authorities could not
expand on the condition of the person.
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