10 JULY 27, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
POLICE BEAT Compiled by Emily Davenport and Robert Pozarycki
SEVEN LATIN KINGS
BUSTED FOR DRUG AND
GUN DEALS
Police dethroned six alleged
members of the Latin Kings gang in
south Queens this week as a result
of a three-month undercover investigation
into drug and gun deals in
the area, prosecutors announced on
July 21.
According to Queens District Attorney
Richard A. Brown, the probe
culminated on the morning of July 18,
when police offi cers raided the home
of David Golden, 21, who was with
four alleged associates at the time:
Jesus Merced, 23, of Hempstead, NY,
and Ozone Park’s Janet Rodriguez,
30, Alberto Santiago, 21 and Malik
Santiago, 16. During the court-authorized
search, police found a defaced
.22-caliber semi-automatic pistol,
$1,250 in cash, various quantities of
marijuana, cocaine and heroin, and
drug paraphernalia.
Law enforcement sources identifi
ed Golden as the alleged ringleader
of the gun and drug sale operation
that involved members of what’s
called the Woodhaven Mayans, a
subset of the Latin Kings. Between
April 11 and June 22 of this year, authorities
said, Golden made repeated
contacts with an undercover offi cer
posing as a buyer and sold the agent
various narcotics and weapons
Prosecutors said the investigation
came about through the joint eff orts
of the NYPD Queens Gang Unit and the
DA’s Gang Violence and Hate Crimes Bureau.
The undercover offi cer allegedly
engaged in 13 diff erent heroin, cocaine
and prescription drug purchases involving
Golden or one of his associates
— including Travis Gonzalez, 16, and
Edgardo Torres, 17, both Queens residents
— over the three-month period.
On May 13, law enforcement sources
noted, Golden allegedly contacted
the undercover offi cer and asked if
he was interested in purchasing fi rearms,
which the suspect called “toys.”
He informed the offi cer that he was
awaiting a shipment of guns from out
of state, with the fi rearms going for
between $600 and $800.
Twelve days later, on May 25, Golden
allegedly met with the undercover offi
cer and provided him with 24 grams
of a substance believed to be cocaine
in exchange for $1,300. Prosecutors
said that Golden then made a phone
call and told the offi cer that the gun
shipment arrived, and that someone
was bringing it on a bicycle.
Moments later, according to the
charges, Gonzalez arrived on the
scene and handed the undercover
offi cer a black bag containing a small
case which included a .38-caliber
revolver with five rounds in the
cylinder.
Authorities said that the undercover
agent then met with Torres on
June 22 paid $500 for what he was
told would be 100 glassine envelopes
of heroin. However, prosecutors
said, the envelopes did not contain
the narcotic.
Each of the suspects were variously
charged with criminal sale of
a controlled substance, conspiracy,
criminal possession of a controlled
substance, criminal possession of a
weapon, criminal sale of a fi rearm
and unlawful possession of a weapon.
106TH PRECINCT
SOUTH QUEENS
BANDITS TAKE SAFE WITH
$150K IN LOOT
Police are looking for a pair of thieves
who broke into a South Ozone Park home
and walked off with a safe containing a
six-fi gure bundle of valuables.
According to law enforcement sources,
at 12:10 p.m. on July 14, a pair of unidentifi
ed individuals broke into a home
located in the vicinity of 149th Avenue
and 123rd Street. Once inside, the suspects
took a safe from the home, which
contained $150,000 in cash and jewelry.
Following the incident, authorities
said, the crooks took off in a dark colored
sedan to parts unknown.
Anyone with information in regards
to this incident is asked to call
the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at
1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish,
1-888-57-PISTA (74782). All calls are
kept confi dential.
112TH PRECINCT
FOREST HILLS & REGO
PARK
CROOK HITS TWO FOREST
HILLS BANKS IN 10
MINUTES
If at first you don’t succeed, try
again.
That old cliche worked for a robber
who made two bids to steal cash from
banks located about a block from each
other in Forest Hills on Friday morning,
police said.
According to law enforcement
sources, the crook fi rst walked into
the Queens County Savings Bank at
107-40 Queens Blvd. at 9:35 a.m. on July
21. The thief approached a 64-year-old
female teller and handed over a note
demanding cash.
When the teller refused to comply
with his demands, authorities said, the
suspect walked out of the bank empty
handed in an unknown direction.
But 10 minutes later, police said, the
bandit entered the Capitol One Bank
at 107-18 71st Ave. — around the corner
from the Queens County Savings Bank
— at 9:45 a.m. on Friday. Aft er passing
a demand note to a 24-year-old female
teller, the crook received an undetermined
amount of cash, then fl ed the
scene.
Police describe the suspect as a
Hispanic male with a light complexion
standing 5 foot 10 inches tall with black
hair and brown eyes. He was last seen
wearing a blue t-shirt and beige shorts.
THE 104TH PRECINCT DID NOT PROVIDE A BLOTTER THIS WEEK.
WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO.
“Old World Craftsmanship”- With Over 40 Years of Reliable Service.
Basement Waterproofing Brickwork
Exposed "Aggregate Concrete”
Pavers • Masonry
For More Information Contact: Arthur DiBiase��
��������������Mason Contractor 718-767-0072��
Licensed (# 808097) & Insured.
������������������������
RIDGEWOOD OFFICE PRODUCTS CENTER
“YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS”
DISCOUNTED OFFICE FURNITURE
• Space Planning
• Interior Design & Layout
• Safes/Shredders
• Printing / Copies/ Fax Service
• Blumberg Legal Forms/Leases
• Wedding Invitations/ Foreign Languages
Celebrating Our
72nd Year
(1945-2017)
Full Line of
Art Supplies in stock
SENIOR CITIZEN
DISCOUNT WEDNESDAYS
67-16 FRESH POND ROAD (Near M Station) 1-718-386-3266