10 DECEMBER 6, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
POLICE BEAT
F. Hills, Rich. Hill mailbox fi shers caught
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
RPOZARYCKI@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
Two men who allegedly stole mail
out of United States Postal Service
mailboxes on the streets of
Forest Hills and Richmond Hill found
themselves in court this week, prosecutors
announced on Nov. 30.
Alvaro Martinez, 28, of Manhattan
and Luis Velazquez, 22, of the Bronx
appeared in Queens Criminal Court
on Nov. 29 before Judge Toko Serita
for arraignment on charges including
third-degree burglary, fi rst-degree
criminal tampering, third-degree
criminal possession of stolen property,
fi rst-degree identity theft and possession
of burglar’s tools.
According to Queens District Attorney
Richard A. Brown, Martinez and
Velazquez are accused of using makeshift
“reels” made out of household
items such as shoestrings, juice bottles
and glue traps to try and steal mail left
in the USPS mailboxes. Mailbox fi shing
has become a problem across Queens
in recent years, with crooks looking to
The 104th Precinct released the
following list of persons arrested
in recent police accusations. The
charges are accusations, and all
individuals listed in this blotter are
presumed innocent until proven
guilty. For questions about the
names listed in the blotter, contact
the 104th Precinct at 718-386-3004.
Nov. 26: (Glendale) Carlos Valero, at Cooper
and Cypress Avenues, for possession
of a forged instrument and criminal possession
of stolen property, by P.O. Nardello.
(Ridgewood) Nelson Lozada, at Seneca
Avenue, for assault, by P.O. Schneidawin.
(Ridgewood) Robert Walton, at 64-02 Catalpa
Ave., for menacing, by P.O. Nessler.
(Ridgewood) Jeffrey O’Neil, at 64-02
Catalpa Ave., for grand larceny, by Det.
Glowa. (Ridgewood) Juan Castillo DeLuna,
at 64-02 Catalpa Ave., for lewdness and
public lewdness, by P.O. Marinacci and Detectives
Wright and Lodato. (Ridgewood)
Hector Alejandro, at Myrtle Avenue, for
robbery, by P.O. Bartichek. (Ridgewood)
Robert Walton, at Grandview Avenue,
for criminal contempt, by P.O. Bush.
Nov. 27: (Ridgewood) Luis Rodriguez
Infante, at 64-02 Catalpa Ave., for
stalking, by P.O. Ciancio. (Ridgewood)
Jonathan Rosario, at 64-02 Catalpa
Ave., for strangulation, by Det. Bazilio.
(Ridgewood) Jaiko Naula, at 64-02
Catalpa Ave., for robbery, by Det.
Bublin. (Ridgewood) Jonathan White,
at 64-02 Catalpa Ave., for menacing
and aggravated harassment, by P.O.
O’Connor. (Glendale) Kiandera David
and Clarissa Centurian, at Myrtle
Avenue, for assault, by P.O. Johnson.
Nov. 28: (Ridgewood) Christopher
Prieto, at 64-02 Catalpa Ave., for grand
larceny, by Det. Rogers. (Maspeth)
Pawel Mackiewicz, at 56th Avenue, for
menacing, by P.O. Candelaria. (Ridgewood)
Lissate Ramos, at Onderdonk
Avenue and Grove Street, for aggravated
unlicensed operator, by P.O. Dove.
(Ridgewood) Jakub Jachim, at 64-02 Catalpa
Ave., for leaving the scene of an
accident, by Det. Moon. (Ridgewood)
Roberto Batista, at Flushing Avenue
and Troutman Street, for aggravated
unlicensed operator, by P.O. Urrutia.
Nov. 29: (Ridgewood) Irving Cajas, at
Woodbine Street, for aggravated harassment,
by Det. Friedrich. (Glendale)
Kenneth Green, at 72nd Street, for
assault, by Det. Rogers. (Maspeth)
Omar Cardona, at Grand Avenue, for
aggravated contempt, by P.O. Gomez.
(Glendale) Stephen Schoessow, at 81st
Avenue, for burglary, by Det. Fogus.
Nov. 30: (Ridgewood) Tywan Gause,
at Madison Street and Wyckoff Avenue,
for criminal possession of a
weapon, by Det. Wright. (Ridgewood)
Wojciech Chrzastak, at 69th Avenue,
for criminal contempt, by Det. Lodato.
Dec. 1: (Glendale) Joseph Kirch, at
75th Street, for DWI, by P.O. Nessler.
(Middle Village) Andrew DeJesus and
Deandre Francis, at 66th Road and 71st
Street, for petit larceny, by P.O. Gonzalez
and P.O. Valdemar. (Middle Village)
Cliff ord Brown, at Metropolitan Avenue,
for criminal possession of stolen
property, by P.O. Rosalez. (Ridgewood)
Justin Roman, at Woodward Avenue
and Madison Street, for criminal trespass,
by P.O. Clark.
Dec. 2: (Ridgewood) Angelo Gomez,
at Myrtle Avenue, for criminal
possession of stolen property and
petit larceny, by Det. Wright and P.O.
Marinacci.
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steal checks and personal information
from envelopes that residents leave in
the mailboxes.
Law enforcement sources said
Velazquez was caught on security camera
footage fi shing from a mailbox at the
corner of 64th Avenue and 108th Street
in Forest Hills at 4:35 a.m. on Oct. 29.
According to the charges, Velazquez
was seen allegedly inserting an object
into the mailbox and pulling it out with
several pieces of mail attached to it.
Police learned that he did the same
thing at another USPS mailbox located
a block away.
Video camera footage that police obtained
showed Martinez allegedly stealing
mail in a similar fashion from a blue
mailbox at the corner of 62nd Drive and
108th Street just before 4 a.m. on Nov.
17. Prosecutors said that Martinez is
shown allegedly placing something
inside the mailbox, then retrieving
that item along with several envelopes.
Law enforcement agents caught
Velazquez and Martinez red-handed
at a blue USPS mailbox located at the
corner of Lefferts Boulevard and
Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill just
before 3:50 a.m. on Nov. 28.
According to prosecutors, Martinez
was allegedly seen with his hands near
the opening slot of a mailbox while
Velazquez leaned on it. Both suspects
moved away from the box aft er seeing
a detective walking toward them. However,
the offi cer observed a shoestring
dangling from the mailbox slot.
Moments later, a U.S. Postal Police
offi cer opened the box and discovered
that the shoestring was attached to a
juice bottle covered in glue. It’s the
type of makeshift device commonly
used by thieves in mailbox fi shing
schemes.
During questioning, Velazquez
allegedly admitted to having dozens
of pieces of mail inside of his car,
parked nearby. The vehicle also had
mouse and rat glue traps, from which
he obtained the adhesive used for the
makeshift mailbox fi shing reels.
Police later learned that at least one
of the stolen envelopes contained a
check for $4,000.
Both Velazquez and Martinez were
charged as a result of an investigation
conducted by the 102nd Precinct and
the Queens North and Queens South
Grand Larceny Squads.
At the Nov. 30 arraignment hearing,
Judge Serita ordered Martinez held
on $20,000 bail and Velazquez held on
$10,000 bail; they must return to court
on Dec. 13. If convicted, they each face
up to seven years in prison.
Photo courtesy of NYPD
A makeshift mailbox fi shing device
similar to this one was recovered
from two men caught on Nov.
28 allegedly stealing mail from
a U.S. Postal Service mailbox in
Richmond Hill.
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