12 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 16, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com s police beat COMPILED BY TONIA N. CIMINO Cement & Brick Work Astoria dad may face jail time Psych exam for LIC carjack suspect Old World Craftsmanship Cement & Brick Work CALL ARTIE Basement Water Proofing Specialist Serving Queens for 35 Years Serving Queens for 35 Years For more information contact Artie DiBiase Mason Contractor 718.767.0072 Licensed #808097 and Insured Licensed #808097 and Insured Old World Craftsmanship CALL ARTIE Basement Water Proofing Specialist Pavers and Exposed Aggregate Concrete For more information contact Artie DiBiase Mason Contractor 718.767.0072 Nicolas Almonte COMMIT TO BE FIT ONE-ON-ONE PERSONAL TRAINING GROUP CLASSES AVAILABLE ALL AGES. ALL FITNESS LEVELS. ALL ABILITIES. THE FITNESS CONSULTANT Celebrating Our 24th Anniversary! 208-52 Cross Island Pkwy • Bayside 718.352.9075 2011 st www.tfc-gym.com FREE TRAINING SESSION CALL TODAY of the THE QUEENS QueensCourier.com Place 108TH PRECINCT LIC, Sunnyside and Woodside Seek train assault suspect The NYPD is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect and victim in an assault aboard the No. 7 train. On Sunday, May 5 at 1 a.m., an unidentified male punched the unidentified victim and exited the train at the 69th Street station. The suspect is identified as white-Hispanic, approximately 5’9” and 180 pounds, with brown eyes and long black hair. He was wearing a dark T-shirt and blue jeans, and had his hair in a pony tail. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS. 109TH PRECINCT Downtown Flushing, East Flushing, Queensboro Hill, College Point, Malba, Whitestone, Beechhurst and Bay Terrace Beware deception robberies A 90-year-old woman received a call from the 438 area code on May 9 telling her that her grandson was in jail and that she needed to send $3,200 via Western Union to Punta Cana. When she called her grandson, he was O.K. Residents arrested in apparent robbery A man and a woman were arrested after their home was apparently robbed. According to a police source, Christina Stold and Timothy Kush, 23, residents of a home on 13th Avenue and 141st Street, were arrested in the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 14 after four suspects executed a push-in robbery. Around 11 p.m. on Monday, May 13, Kush told police he was leaving his home, via a side, door to walk his dog. He said he was approached by three Hispanic males wearing ski masks and one Hispanic female who pushed their way into the house, displayed a gun, tasered him and ransacked the premises. The source said it was unclear what was taken from the home, but Kush and Stold are both charged with criminal possession of marijuana and criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. 115TH PRECINCT East Elmhurst, North Corona and Jackson Heights Fatal accident on Roosevelt Avenue A 75-year-old woman was struck and killed on Roosevelt Avenue on Mother’s Day. On Sunday, May 12, police determined that a 1998 Dodge, driven by a 75-year-old man, was traveling southbound on 90th Street and made a left turn onto Roosevelt Avenue when it struck the woman, identified as Elba Granizo. She was crossing Roosevelt Avenue. The driver remained at the scene. The investigation is ongoing. BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] An Astoria dad may receive more than just a slap on the wrist after allowing his children to play with loaded BB guns at a local park. According to District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Zbigniew Pawlowski, 54, allegedly went to Ditmars Park in Astoria on Tuesday, May 7 with his two children— the elder of whom is five years old—and two BB guns. At the park, Pawlowski allegedly loaded the guns with plastic pellets and shot one at a tree. He then handed the guns to his children and allowed them to shoot. He also allegedly permitted his five-year-old daughter to run around the park with the BB gun, which she waved at other children, according to the DA. “Illegal firearms, whether they be a spring-powered pistol or a more conventional deadly firearm, are a serious threat to public safety,” said Brown. “By allowing a five-year-old child to play with the loaded BB gun as if it was just a toy, the defendant is accused of recklessly endangering lives by creating a scenario that could have led to serious injury not just to his own children but innocent others who may have come in contact with the weapon.” Pawlowski was arraigned on May 9 on charges of first- and second-degree reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest and violation of a New York City Administrative Code through possession of the BB gun. Pawlowski is due to return to court in July and if convicted, the father faces up to seven years in prison. “Times are not the same as when we grew up,” said Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr. “With events like Sandy Hook, something like this can cause a panic.” BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] A man suspected of going on a carjacking spree and terrifying the Long Island City community last week has been arraigned and ordered to undergo a psychiatric exam. According to District Attorney Richard Brown, authorities arraigned Nicolas Almonte, 27, on Saturday, May 11 on robbery and unlawful imprisonment charges after allegedly going on an hourlong spree of multiple carjackings and robberies. At approximately 9:35 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, the suspect allegedly started his spree when he approached a black Mercedes near 21-27 Borden Avenue. He displayed a gun to the driver, a 22-year-old woman, and said, “Drive or I will kill you.” According to the district attorney, Almonte forced his victim to drive over the 59th Street Bridge into Manhattan and then back to Queens while holding a gun to her head. He then allegedly left the vehicle while at a red light. Almonte then allegedly attempted to steal a white van near Thomson Avenue and Van Dam Street but only took the driver’s cellphone, exited the van and then drove off in a carjacked gray Lexus. He also tried to rob a woman walking her dog, carjacked a gold Mercedes at gunpoint near 39th Street and 50th Avenue and took about $50 from another victim near Hunters Point Avenue and 38th Street. During his arrest, police allegedly recovered a black BB gun from Almonte and a florescent orange construction vest he was wearing, the DA said. Throughout the hour-long manhunt for Almonte, police were stationed outside of Swing Staging, a scaffolding company in Long Island City believed to be Almonte’s place of work. Workers there were shocked to hear of his actions, but said the suspect seemed out of it at times. “He’s a good guy, I don’t know what happened to him,” said Esteban Amote, a Swing Staging employee. “It’s hard to believe he just snapped like that. He did seem a little unstable at some points, but this is still really surprising.” Almonte is charged in a 10-count criminal complaint with five counts of first-degree robbery, one count of first-degree attempted robbery, three counts of second-degree robbery and one count of unlawful imprisonment. He is expected to return to court on May 28. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. Almonte’s attorney did not return calls as of press time. With additional reporting by Johann Hamilton
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