12 THE QUEENS COURIER • NOVEMBER 24, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com police beat COMPILED BY ANGELA MATUA AND ROBERT POZARYCKI • Masonry “When Only The Best Will Do!” Great Quality, Fair Pricing! DONATE YOUR CAR FOR HOMELESS PETS! Animal League America’s Vehicle Donation Program makes donating a vehicle fast and easy, offering you a great way to support our no-kill mission! For complete details about donating a vehicle or additional information regarding Tax Benefits, Donations Tips and Frequently Asked Questions, visit animalautos.org or call 1-800-752-6462. DON'T FORGET! North Shore Animal League America has HUNDREDS of puppies, kittens, dogs and cats to choose from! Mixed-breeds, purebreds, small breeds too! OPEN DAILY FOR ADOPTIONS 12 NOON - 8 PM 25 Davis Avenue • Port Washington, NY • 516.883.7575 • animalleague.org FOLLOW US: 107th Precinct Fresh Meadows, Flushing, Jamaica Man convicted of stabbing man at Flushing mosque A Rego Park man may be spending the next quarter-century in a state prison after being convicted on Nov. 21 of stabbing a member of a Flushing mosque and vandalizing the house of worship four years ago. Prosecutors said Bernhard Laufer, 59, of 65th Road was found guilty of second-degree attempted murder, fi rst-degree attempted assault and second-degree assault, all of which were classifi ed as hate crimes. Laufer was previously convicted in March 2015 on federal charges for sending hate-fi lled emails to an employee at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said Laufer went on a hate-fi lled rampage at the Masjid Al-Saaliheen Mosque on Kissena Boulevard between Nov. 16 and Nov. 18, 2012. On the fi rst day, he smashed a door and broke a door handle with a rock. He also left threatening messages on the mosque’s voicemail system. Prosecutors said Laufer returned to the mosque early on the morning of Nov. 18, as he followed a 57-year-old man to the front door at about 4:50 a.m. that morning. As the victim unlocked the door, according to trial testimony, Laufer stabbed him in the head, then bit him in the nose before stabbing him again in the back, leg and thumb. Offi cers from the 107th Precinct and EMS units responded to the incident. The victim was treated at a local hospital for his injuries. Members of the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force traced the threatening phone calls back to Laufer’s home phone. They were also able to link Laufer to the stabbing through DNA testing, as his genetic profi le matched DNA found on a pair of eyeglasses that he apparently dropped at the scene during the attack. Laufer faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced by Judge Barry Schwartz on Dec. 14. 108th Precinct LIC, Maspeth, Sunnyside, Woodside Van Bramer gets death threat for Trump march Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer received a death threat after news broke regarding the march he organized from Queensboro Bridge to Trump Tower to celebrate “Queens values.” According to Politico, which fi rst reported the story, the message was sent to the councilman’s distribution list. His offi ce sent out a fl yer promoting the Nov. 19 march and someone on the list was responsible for the email. “Rest of the people from Queens do not agree with your homosexual lifestyle,” the email read. “I will keep a close eye on your every moves sic so that when it’s time to execute traitors, I will try my best so that you sic name is included in that list of traitors. Execution is the penalty for a traitor, that is the Law Of This Land!” Van Bramer has been outspoken since the election and hosted a forum earlier this week to connect community organizations with Queens residents who want to volunteer their time working with groups such as Planned Parenthood, Arab-American Family Support Center and other nonprofi ts that aid people who have felt attacked during the election cycle. Van Bramer told Politico that the NYPD is investigating the incident as a hate crime. The march went on as planned on Nov. 19. 114th Precinct Astoria, Long Island City Elderly man killed while crossing Astoria street An 88-year-old man has died of injuries he sustained after being struck by a van while attempting to cross an Astoria street last week, the NYPD announced on Nov. 22. Savas Maounis, 88, of 38th Street was walking across 33rd Street northbound at 12:33 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, when he was hit by a green Ford Econoline van that was attempting to turn left onto 23rd Street from the southbound side of 33rd Street, according to police. The unidentifi ed driver of the van remained at the scene following the incident. Offi cers from the 114th Precinct and EMS units responded to a 911 call at the location and found Maounis with trauma to his head and body. Paramedics brought him to Elmhurst Hospital, where he died the next day, Saturday, Nov. 19. No charges have been fi led against the driver, and an investigation by the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad is ongoing.
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