16 DECEMBER 30, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Queens’ top stories from March 2021
BY JENNA BAGCAL
JBAGCAL@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@JENNA_BAGCAL
As the year comes to a close, take
a look back at QNS’ top stories
from March 2021, from local
crime and restaurant openings to
the creation of COVID-19 vaccine sites
and court cases.
FLUSHING SMALL
BUSINESS OWNER
TAKES ACTION AGAINST
DOORDASH OVER FRAUD
ALLEGATION
At the beginning of March, QNS
reported on DoorDash terminating
A-Crepe’s merchant license over
suspected fraudulent activity. According
to the shop’s owners, the
food delivery service had withdrawn
a total of $46,700 earned from sales
and proceeds without notice and
terminated the restaurant’s account
days later without any explanation.
“All within one day, without warning.
Aft er that occurred we were
really confused,” Eric Leung said on
behalf of his business partner and
owner David Liu. “This is literally
months and months of revenue — we
have rent, bills and other expenses
to pay and we can’t aff ord to without
this money.”
Leung went on to say that since
DoorDash had access to A-Crepe’s
account number, the company pulled
the funds using an automated clearing
house transfer (ACH). Liu and
Leung were able to recover $32,000
aft er the pair disputed it with Bank
of America and filled out an affidavit
saying that the ACH transfer
was unauthorized. The remaining
$14,000 in funds were still withheld
by DoorDash.
Despite contacting DoorDash for
an explanation as to why their account
was canceled without notice, a
company representative reportedly
cited “fraudulent activity” but no
further information.
“The only specifi cs we can provide
is that the terms of services have been
violated through fraud and when that
happens, they will not reactivate the
store. I apologize for the inconvenience,”
a DoorDash representative
told A-Crepe in a Jan. 19 email.
Following the ordeal, Leung gave a
message to all small business owners:
Don’t be afraid to speak up.
“If we can do it, then anyone can do
it. I just want people to stand up for
what is right, and that’s all for the
power of community. We will stand
together for what’s right and tell
those big companies we’re not going
to get bullied,” Leung said.
David Liu, owner of A-Crepe in Flushing, says DoorDash claims he violated the food delivery company’s terms
of service but didn’t provide an explanation. Photo by Eric Leung
MISSING KEW GARDENS
WOMAN FOUND DEAD
INSIDE WOODED AREA
OF FOREST PARK: NYPD
A young Kew Gardens woman
named Meghan Stecher was found
dead in Forest Park, just days aft er she
was reported missing.
Stecher’s body was reportedly
found inside an area of the park about
100 yards north of Forest Park Drive,
near the Long Island Rail Road’s Lower
Montauk Brach, around 10:30 p.m. on
March 2.
The Austin Street resident was reported
missing at the end of February
and was last seen alive at her home on
Feb. 25.
Police said that EMS personnel pronounced
her dead at the scene. There
were reportedly no visible signs of
trauma to her body and cops were
investigating her cause of death.
Sources familiar with the investigation
said that Stecher was known to frequent
Forest Parks and nature trails in
and around Willow and Meadow lakes
in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
NYC SHERIFF’S OFFICE
SHUTS DOWN ILLEGAL
RAVE AT RADIOACTIVE
SUPERFUND SITE IN
RIDGEWOOD
The NYC Sheriff ’s Offi ce broke up
an illegal rave at a Ridgewood warehouse,
which was also a radioactive
Superfund site.
According to reports, law enforcement
responded to 1133 Irving Ave. at
about 1:40 a.m. on March 6. The site is
part of the 3/4-acre EPA-designated
Wolff -Alport Superfund Zone, where
there had been ongoing eff orts to clean
up radioactive contamination.
The sheriff ’s offi ce said that it had
gotten a tip-off about a potential rave
and they spotted a large number of
people entering the warehouse that
night.
Upon entering, law enforcement witnessed
at least 142 people dancing and
drinking alcohol without face masks.
To top it off , the location also did not
have a valid liquor license or a valid
certifi cate of occupancy.
Reports indicated that the sheriff ’s
offi ce cleared the party out without
incident.
YEAR IN REVIEW
The sheriff ’s offi ce raided an illegal rave on March 6, 2021, inside a
warehouse located within a Superfund site in Queens.
Photo courtesy of NYC Sheriff ’s Offi ce
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
