14 FEBRUARY 1, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Stop-work order sent Maspeth
homeowner into violent rage: cops
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
RPOZARYCKI@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@ROBBPOZ
The Brooklyn man who allegedly
hurled a foreign object at police
officers at a Maspeth home
this week went ballistic aft er a city
inspector halted construction on his
property, prosecutors said.
Greenpoint resident Edward
Wysk, 51, was arrested on Jan. 23 for
assaulting two members of the 104th
Precinct who responded to a 911 call
about the argument Wysk got into
with a Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) inspector outside
the Maspeth Avenue house that
he owns.
According to Queens District Attorney
Richard A. Brown, Wysk became
enraged aft er the DEP inspector issued
a stop-work order on the property for
failing to have the proper asbestos
reports. Following a verbal argument,
Wysk allegedly ripped up the order
and threw the agent’s credentials to
the ground.
When the inspector attempted to
call police, prosecutors said, Wysk
allegedly grabbed his phone and threw
it against the wall, destroying it. He
also grabbed hold of the man’s arm
and shirt just before Police Offi cers
Matthew Portoles and Randy Paulsaint
of the 104th Precinct arrived on the
scene.
Law enforcement sources said
Wysk ran into the house aft er Portoles
attempted to take him into custody.
Seconds later, as Portoles and Paulsaint
attempted to enter the home,
Wysk allegedly threw numerous
objects through a window. One of the
items — a brick, according to reports
— struck Paulsaint in the head.
Paulsaint was rushed to Wyckoff
Heights Medical Center, where he
received fi ve stitches to close a deep
laceration and further treatment for
a concussion.
Portoles also injured himself aft er
banging his arm against a metal scaffold
while attempting to arrest Wysk.
The offi cer was treated for bruising
and swelling.
During questioning, authorities
said, Wysk allegedly admitted to
throwing numerous items — including
2-by-4 beams and a fi re extinguisher —
at the offi cers. He also claimed that he
went off on the DEP inspector because
he didn’t trust his credentials.
Wysk was arraigned on Jan. 24
on charges of assault on a peace or
police officer, second- and third-degree
assault, fourth-degree
criminal mischief, obstruction
of governmental administration
and harassment. He was released
on $10,000 bail and must return to
court on Feb. 7.
If convicted, Brown said, Wysk faces
up to 15 years behind bars.
Photo via Google Maps
The owner of this Maspeth Avenue house allegedly assaulted two 104th
Precinct offi cers on Jan. 23.
Off -duty cop indicted for gunpoint robbery
BY RYAN KELLEY
RKELLEY@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
TWITTER @R_KELLEY6
An NYPD offi cer is facing up to
25 years in prison aft er being
indicted for a gunpoint robbery
outside of a nightclub along the
Ridgewood/Bushwick border while
he was off -duty.
Anthony Delacruz, 34, was arraigned
on a 14-count indictment on
Wednesday, Jan. 24 before Brooklyn
Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun.
Delacruz is charged with two counts
of fi rst-degree robbery; two counts
of second-degree robbery; one count
of third-degree robbery; two counts
of second-degree assault; one count
of third-degree assault; one count of
second-degree menacing; two counts
of third-degree falsely reporting an
incident; two counts of distinctive
number, form of number plates, trailers;
and one count of petit larceny.
“This defendant’s alleged brazen
and criminal behavior was in direct
contradiction to the oath that he took
to protect and serve,” said Brooklyn
District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in
a press release. “He then allegedly
made a deplorable situation worse by
falsely accusing multiple individuals
of robbing him. We will now seek to
hold him accountable.”
Gonzalez said that, according to
the investigation, police responded
to a 911 call for shots fi red at approximately
3:30 a.m. near the El Mekkah
Bar and Grill in the area of Wyckoff
Avenue and Grove Street. The responding
officers were allegedly
told by Offi cer Delacruz — who did
not initially identify himself as a police
offi cer or state that he had fi red
his service weapon — that he was
off duty and in his personal vehicle
when he was surrounded by several
individuals who stole his gold chain,
Rolex watch and a gold ring before
fl eeing.
Delacruz claimed that he chased
aft er the perpetrators and exchanged
gunfi re with them, fi ring his gun
once and there were possibly two
shots returned. At the scene, Delacruz
allegedly pointed to a group of
people who he said were involved in
the robbery and all were taken into
custody.
Video evidence taken from El
Mekkah later proved that the men
identifi ed by Delacruz were visible
in a diff erent location from where
the alleged robbery occurred, and
were therefore not involved. Delacruz
was taken to a hospital, where NYPD
personnel determined that he was not
forthcoming about the details and was
not fi t for duty because he was not in
possession of his shield while armed.
Further investigation revealed that
Delacruz was allegedly captured on
video with an accomplice — whose
identity is known but not disclosed by
the District Attorney — confronting
another man who was hiding behind
a car. The video further shows Delacruz
allegedly pointing his gun at
the man.
The three men then go off camera,
and when Delacruz and his
accomplice return to view, the
unidentifi ed accomplice is carrying
clothing and sneakers as they walk
away, according to the investigation.
The alleged victim later appears on
camera dressed only in a T-shirt and
boxer shorts, with no shoes.
The victim was allegedly pistol
whipped by Delacruz, and DNA
recovered from the muzzle of his
gun belongs to the victim. A shell
casing recovered from the scene
also matched the defendant’s gun,
the investigation found.
Delacruz identified the pistol
whipped victim as one of the men
who robbed him during the course
of the investigation, and charges
fi led in connection with that alleged
incident were later dismissed.
While the incident happened nearly
two years ago, the press release
from the District Attorney said Delacruz
was suspended on Wednesday,
Jan. 24, the day of his arrest.
In a statement to QNS, the NYPD
confi rmed that Delacruz has been
suspended without pay, but did not
provide further details about the
offi cer’s status during the course of
the investigation.
