4 The Queens Courier • december 1, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com ‘The Americans’ Bayside rob victim was targeted: cops BY ROBERT POZARYCKI AND SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @QNS Police believe the 67-year-old victim of a robbery in his own driveway in Bayside was targeted after making an expensive electronic purchase, according to an update given by police at the Bayside Hills Civic Association meeting on Nov. 29. “We think he was actually targeted at this point,” said Police Officer Luigi Galano of the 111th Precinct during the Nov. 29 meeting. “He was shopping for an electronic device: an iPhone. He purchased the phone at one of the local stores … went back home, and that’s when he was robbed right in front of his house.” Galano said two black male suspects approached the victim as he exited his vehicle and hit him in the lower left eye with the back of a handgun. “As of right now there hasn’t been any arrests on that,” Galano said. “We’re still actively looking. We have some leads.” Galano said officers have been searching surveillance footage throughout the neighborhood to see if they can get a better physical description of the suspects. He encouraged anyone with tips regarding the incident to contact police. The two crooks robbed the 67-yearold victim and smacked him in the head with a firearm in the driveway of his Bayside home on Nov. 25, according to police. Law enforcement sources said the robbery occurred at about 8 p.m. along 57th Road near Cloverdale Boulevard in the Oakland Gardens section of the neighborhood. According to police, the 67-year-old victim had just pulled his car into the driveway and exited with a grocery bag when he was approached by the two robbers, who were described as black males. One of the suspects removed the victim’s bag, which contained an iPhone 7, then pistol-whipped him with a firearm that went off; police said the slug went through the driver’s side window but did not strike anyone. The crooks then fled the scene on foot westbound along 57th Road toward Cloverdale Boulevard, authorities said. The victim suffered minor injuries. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, visit their website or send a text message to 274637 (CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential. set to film in Bayside today Astoria cops help catch knifepoint robber BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected]/@AngelaMatua Two officers at the 114th Precinct were honored last week for helping to catch a perpetrator who robbed a check cashing company at knifepoint in Astoria. Deputy Inspector Peter Fortune, the precinct’s commander, presented them with the Cop of the Month awards at a precinct council meeting in Astoria on Nov. 22. On Oct. 16 at about 8:30 a.m., Officers Kenneth Travitt and Michael Sawicki responded to a robbery at Pay-O-Matic at 30-14 31st St. When officers Travitt and Sawicki got to the location, a female victim who had a knife pressed to her throat by the perpetrator gave the officers detailed information about the suspect. The suspect demanded cash from an employee, who was stationed behind a glass partition in the store, while holding the knife to a customer’s neck. The employee complied and gave $3,000 in cash to the perpetrator, Fortune said. Responding officers quickly radioed in a description of the perpetrator to other officers, who entered a nearby train station on 30th Avenue. They looked for the perpetrator on the platform and also communicated with the MTA to delay the departure of the N and W trains while they conducted the search. Officers eventually found a man matching the detailed description they received from the victim. They were able to remove his knife and arrest him. The bag of money was found in a nearby trash can on the platform. After an investigation, officers found that the perpetrator had recently been released from prison for the robbery and attempted murder of a livery driver. He has been arrested a total of 13 times. “This arrest was the culmination of great teamwork by many different people,” Fortune said. “It began with the victim who was able to remain calm and provide an accurate description of the perpetrator. It continued with officers Travett and Sawicki who displayed great professionalism with a speedy response and communication by the relaying of accurate, precise information to those officers in the field. By all working together, a violent career criminal was taken off our streets, hopefully for a long time.” Photo: Angela Matua/THE COURIER Officers Michael Sawiki (left) and Kenneth Travitt (right) were awarded Cop of the Month honors for October. Photo via Google Maps A 67-year-old man was robbed in the driveway of a home in the vicinity of 57th Road and Cloverdale Boulevard in Bayside on the night of Nov. 25. BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected]/@smont76 Bayside will serve as the backdrop for yet another television filming today (Thursday). The FX drama “The Americans” will film along Bell Boulevard and Corporal Stone Street in areas between 36th and 41st Avenues on Dec. 1, according to posted signage. Vehicles parked near affixed “No Parking” signage were to have been moved the night before the scheduled filming. The action drama takes place during the Cold War era and stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. The pair play undercover KGB spies in an arranged marriage posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. The show is produced by former CIA officer and novelist Joe Weisburg. “The Americans” also filmed in Bayside back in January 2013 shortly after the show’s series premiere. The latest episode to air was the season 4 finale on June 8. The show was renewed for season 5 and 6 — its final two seasons — earlier this year, according to reports. Two other popular television shows also filmed in the Bayside area recently: “Power” and “Law and Order: SVU” both filmed in the vicinity of Bayside High School earlier this month.
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