8 DECEMBER 26, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
The top stories from January 2019
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Here are the top stories from January
2019.
Man steals 3,500 cases of beer off
train in Ridgewood
A man brewed up quite a caper on the
Ridgewood/Glendale border: stealing
approximately 3,500 cases of beer from
an idle train car on a freight rail line in
January. Police said the grand larceny
occurred near the intersection of Cody
and Cypress Avenue, near a train
overpass.
Surveillance images showed the
vague fi gure of a man through a thicket,
but no discernible details of the person’s
features can be gleaned from the
images.
According to the NYPD, at least 350
cases stolen were Corona brand; the
entire shipment was valued at about
$100,000. Detectives could not explain
how one man could move so much beer
on his own.
Word of mouth circulating between
beer distribution companies in the area
said it may have impacted Manhattan
Beer Distributors in Ridgewood on
Metropolitan Avenue and Woodward
Avenue.
Masked gunmen invade Glendale
hone: NYPD
Two armed thieves terrorized an
18-year-old man and stole thousands of
dollars in property during a Glendale
home invasion in January.
Law enforcement sources said the
victim was at home, in the vicinity of
78th Avenue and 84th Street, when the
two suspects, who were wearing ski
masks, entered the location and pulled
a gun on him. One of the invaders then
pistol-whipped the victim, then tied him
up.
Cops said that the thieves proceeded
to search the home and removed $9,000
in cash along with a wallet, a PlayStation
4 video game console and a safe. The
gunmen then fl ed the location in an
unknown direction.
There was no physical description
of the men and no identifying marks,
according to the NYPD. The victim was
not seriously injured.
The top stories from February 2019
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Here are the top stories from February 2019.
Amazon bails on borough and walks away
from HQ2 plan for Long Island City
Amazon, the world’s largest retail company, decided
to back out of its billion-dollar plans for Long Island City
in February. The plans to develop a new campus on the
Anable Basin waterfront in Long Island City and bring
at least 25,000 jobs to the community were scuttled on
Feb. 14.
“While polls show that 70 percent of New Yorkers support
our plans and investment, a number of state and
local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our
presence and will not work with us to build the type of
relationships that are required to go forward with the
project we and many others envisioned in Long Island
City,” Amazon said in a statement.
The Valentine’s Day breakup deprives the city of an
estimated $27 billion in economic revenue that the Amazon
project in Long Island City was projected to generate
over the next 25 years. Amazon had said that the average
annual salary for each job would be $150,000.
Amazon reached the deal with the city and state in
November 2018 in exchange for receive up to $3 billion
in tax incentives. Local elected offi cials opposed the
plan, citing the reported tax breaks and Amazon’s
corporate history — and a need to use public funding
for infrastructure improvements and housing.
Modern Spaces co-founder and CEO Eric Benaim,
who launched an online petition imploring Amazon
to stay in the deal, said that Amazon’s loss would have
troubling repercussions.
“I’m devastated for the 25,000 families who lost an
opportunity here,” he said.
Maspeth strip club with history of violence loses
liquor license aft er recent stabbing
Starting Feb. 16, the New York State Liquor Authority
(SLA) suspended a liquor license belonging to Rouge —
also known as Cityscapes Gentleman’s Club, located at
55-60 58th St. in Maspeth —which has a long history of
violence and gang activity.
“This licensee continually disregards their obligation
to adequately supervise the premises, and is clearly a
threat to the safety of the public,” said Counsel to the
Authority Christopher R. Riano. According Special
Operations Lt. Braumann of the 108th Precinct, the
club had become a focal point for police attention. Aft er
multiple reports of individuals with gang affi liations,
violent incidents at the bar and the ongoing threat to the
surrounding community, a police presence outside of
Cityscapes has been regularly required.
On Dec. 30, 2015, former New York Knicks forward
Cleanthony Early was reportedly shot during a robbery
aft er leaving Cityscapes.
On Jan. 31, 2019, the NYPD initiated a car stop where
the motorist stated that an acquaintance was stabbed
inside Cityscapes. Following an investigation, police
discovered surveillance footage that had the suspect,
entering the bar through a side door, bypassing security
procedures. Interviews with bar management and
staff by the NYPD revealed that an incident did take
place, but they failed to report it to authorities.
And on Feb. 9, an SLA investigator and offi cers from
the 108th Precinct, NYPD Citywide Vice Club Team
and Queens North Vice Enforcement Team conducted
a compliance inspection of the Cityscapes premises.
During the inspection, 44 compliance issues were
identifi ed, 26 NYPD criminal court summonses were
issued, and one arrest was made.
YEAR IN REVIEW
Cops were searching for a man who allegedly stole approximately 3,500 cases of beer from a idle train car on a
freight rail line on the Ridgewood/Glendale border. Photo: Anthony Jauneaud/Flickr Creative Commons
File photo/Shutterstock
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
link
