12 THE QUEENS COURIER • SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
police beat COMPILED BY ROBERT POZARYCKI AND BILL PARRY
108th Precinct
Long Island City, Sunnyside and
Woodside
NYPD searching for knifewielding
man behind Court
Square slashing attack
Police from the 108th Precinct and
Transit District 20 are looking for a man
in connection with a knife attack at a
Court Square subway station in Long
Island City earlier this month.
On Saturday, Aug. 1, a 36-year-old
man was followed by an unidentifi
ed man into the elevator at the Court
Square subway station, according to the
NYPD.
Th e assailant pulled out a knife and
slashed the victim across the face and
then fl ed on foot out of the station,
police said. EMS responded to the crime
scene and transported the victim to Mt.
Sinai Hospital in Astoria where he was
listed in stable condition, police said.
Th e NYPD on Aug. 17 released surveillance
video of the suspect.
Th e man was last seen wearing a black
T-shirt, black shorts and white Nike
sneakers. Anyone with information is
asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers
Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
110th Precinct
Corona and Elmhurst
Hit-and-run driver cuff ed
for role in fatal crash on
Long Island Expressway
in Queens: NYPD
An allegedly drunk driver has been
charged with DWI and vehicular manslaughter
aft er fatally striking a 19-yearold
man in a hit-and-run crash on the
Long Island Expressway in Queens early
Saturday morning, according to authorities.
Law enforcement sources said the collision
happened at about 3 a.m. on Sept. 11
along the expressway’s westbound lanes
near the Woodhaven Boulevard exit in
Elmhurst.
Based on a preliminary investigation,
police determined that the 19-year-old
man was on board a dirt bike, and a
23-year-old man was operating a moped,
westbound on the highway when they
were both struck from behind by the
driver, who operated a silver sedan.
Despite knocking both victims to the
roadway, cops said, the driver did not
stop the vehicle, which fl ed the scene.
Offi cers from the 110th Precinct and
the NYPD Highway Patrol, in responding
to a 911 call about the crash, found
both male victims lying on the roadway
with trauma to their bodies.
EMS rushed the victims to Northwell
Forest Hills Hospital, where the 19-yearold
man was pronounced dead; police
have withheld his identity, pending family
notifi cation. Th e 23-year-old man was
listed in stable condition.
Shortly aft er the crash, police reported,
offi cers located the suspect and the
silver sedan within the confi nes of the
nearby 104th Precinct. Th e driver, later
identifi ed as 30-year-old Jorge Serrano of
Torrington, Conn., was taken into custody
without further incident. He faces
charges of DWI, leaving the scene of an
accident resulting in death and vehicular
manslaughter, among other charges,
police said.
112th Precinct
Forest Hills and Rego Park
Forest Hills woman busted
for vandalizing church
statues in July: NYPD
A Forest Hills woman was arrested and
charged Friday with the desecration of
religious statues at a house of worship just
blocks from her home in July.
Jacqueline Nikiena, 23, of Orcott Street,
was busted by offi cers from the 112th
Precinct on charges of criminal mischief
as a hate crime and aggravated harassment
on Friday, Sept. 10, according to
the NYPD.
Nikiena was caught on surveillance
video approaching Our Lady Of Mercy
Church, located at 70-01 Kessel St., in the
early hours of Saturday, July 17. She can be
seen removing two statues from in front
of the church, throwing them into the
street and then smashing them to pieces,
police said.
Th e perpetrator then fl ed the church to
parts unknown.
Th e NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force
investigated the act of vandalism.