12 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 10, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com s police beat COMPILED BY TONIA N. CIMINO & CRISTABELLE TUMOLA Deadly Elmhurst fi re caused by unattended candle: FDNY An Elmhurst house fi re that left one woman dead and several others injured was ignited by an unattended candle, according to the FDNY. The October 7 blaze broke out around 3:30 a.m. in the two-story home at 42-20 74th Street, said fi re offi cials. A 57-year-old woman died in the fi re, according to police, and a 20-year-old man was seriously injured with third-degree burns. Four others who were in the home at the time of the blaze, as well as three fi refi ghters, received minor injuries, said the FDNY. Investigation leads to arrest of Flushing family for illegal hotel operation Cement & Brick Work 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 We’re Waiting For YOU North Shore Animal League America Has Over 300 Dogs, Cats, Puppies And Kittens Available! 25 Davis Ave., Port Washington, NY AnimalLeague.org OPEN EVERY DAY: Sun – Thurs: 10am – 9pm Fri – Sat: 10am – 10pm Like us on Home of the Mutt-i-gree® 516.883.7575 facebook.com/TheAnimalLeague 108TH PRECINCT LIC, Sunnyside and Woodside Reward offered for missing teen last seen leaving school Cops are still looking for a missing Rego Park teen who cannot verbally communicate, and now a law fi rm has reportedly offered a $5,000 reward. Avonte Oquendo, 14, was last seen leaving the Center Boulevard School at 1-50 51st Avenue in Long Island City around 12:38 p.m. on Friday, October 4, said police. He was wearing a gray striped shirt, black jeans and black sneakers. Oquendo is 5’3” tall and weighs 125 pounds. 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 Three-year-old girl hit and killed by SUV PHOTO BY ROBERT STRIDIRON A toddler was killed on Sunday, October 6 after an SUV struck her in Flushing. Allison Liao, 3, and her grandmother were crossing the intersection of Cherry Avenue and Main Street around 5:30 p.m. when the car hit the child, said police. She was taken to New York Hospital Queens where she was pronounced dead. The driver remained on scene and the investigation is ongoing. 114TH PRECINCT Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside and Jackson Heights Man killed outside of Woodside strip club A man was fatally shot in front of a Woodside strip club early Saturday morning, October 5. The shooting occurred outside of Perfections, located on 30th Avenue near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, around 4:00 a.m., said police. Allah Howell, 25, of Jamaica, was taken to Elmhurst Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was pronounced dead on arrival. Dwayne Johnson, 26, a Queens Village resident, been charged with second-degree murder The investigation of an illegal cigarette traffi cking operation led to the arrest of a Flushing family that was allegedly running an illegal hotel out of the home next door. During the investigation of allegations of illegal cigarettes being sold out of a Saull Street residence, detectives noticed unusual activity going on at the two-family house next door, according to District Attorney Richard A. Brown. Multiple people were observed leaving the home with suitcases, and after further investigation, offi cials discovered that the residence was being advertised as a hotel on Chinese language websites. Following a year-long investigation, a search warrant was executed on the home last week and Qiumin He, 55, his wife, Chun Y Tu, 56, and their son, Xiaoshan He, 34, were arrested. They are currently awaiting arraignment and have been charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, according to Brown. Xiaoshan has also been charged with seconddegree obstructing governmental administration for allegedly interfering with the arrests. They face up to one year in jail if convicted. During a search of the alleged illegal hotel, Department of Buildings inspectors were present as well as inspectors assigned to the New York City Fire Department, who found “numerous egregious violations, including insuffi cient egress and lack of required sprinkler systems and fi re alarms and no exit signs,” said Brown. The family’s neighbor, Qinghai Wei, 50, is also awaiting arraignment on charges alleging that he possessed more than 1,000 cartons of untaxed American and illegal Asian cigarettes. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted. 107TH/110TH/111TH/112TH PRECINCTS Suspect sought in Queens cell phone store burglaries Cops are looking for a man wanted in a string of cell phone store robberies that took place in Queens over the summer. During each of the incidents, the suspect either breaks the front door glass or the window of the store and removes property, said police. The burglaries, which took place between May 22 and August 23, occurred within the 107th, 110th, 111th, and 112th Precincts. Police have released photos from a burglary that occurred on Monday, June 10 around 2:25 a.m. at a T-Mobile store at 57-05 Junction Boulevard. Apparent human leg found in water near Fort Totten Park A body part believed to be a human leg was discovered in the water near Fort Totten Park on Monday afternoon, October 7. Police responded to a call of a possible body part found in the vicinity of Duane and Underhill roads around 4:30 p.m., said cops. After determining that the body part was likely a human leg, police searched the shoreline area, but found no additional body parts. The medical examiner’s offi ce will determine if the leg is human and its origins. The investigation is ongoing.
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