16 TIMES • DECEMBER 31, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com year in review TENANT’S ARSON FIRE BURNED EIGHT WOODHAVEN HOMES Luis Lopez was told by his landlord on March 18 to vacate his 90th Street home in Woodhaven. Police said he allegedly returned to the location 10 minutes later and set the place on fire. The blaze quickly spread throughout the home and into seven adjoining attached structures through the cocklofts, spaces between the top floor and roof of each home. More than 150 members of the Fire Department responded to put out the blaze; two firefighters and six residents suffered minor injuries, and two dogs perished. Following an investigation, Lopez was arrested and charged with multiple counts of attempted murder, arson, child endangerment and cruelty to animals. In the wake of the fire, the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association worked to receive donations of clothing and other essential items to the affected families. s march TOO MUCH PAIN AT JUNIPER VALLEY PARK Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village cost taxpayers at least about $300,000 over the last decade due to personal injuries claims, according to a new report that City Comptroller Scott Stringer released. The green space tied for second place for playground related personal injury claims filed against the city from 2005 to 2014, which citywide cost more than $20.6 million, Stringer said. His analysis also found that annual claims in the city rose 53 percent from just 45 incidents in 2005 to 69 last year. MASSAGE PARLOR CRACKDOWN BEGINS Throughout 2015, the 104th Precinct stepped up its efforts to stop illicit activity at a number of massage parlors in its confines. The crackdown began in earnest in March, when officers from the NYPD Vice Enforcement Division arrested seven individuals at four different parlors in Maspeth and Ridgewood for allegedly failing to have proper licenses and engaging in sex sales. In November, the precinct also shut down a Glendale parlor where alleged prostitution took place. PROLIFIC BANK ROBBER FINALLY CAUGHT An alleged bank robber busted in Ridgewood on March 3 was booked on federal charges for carrying out a series of heists in the 104th Precinct dating back to last November. Police picked up Brooklyn’s Reuben McLaughlin, 24, moments after he allegedly robbed the Capital One bank located at 70-01 Forest Ave. In each of the previous robberies, authorities said, he allegedly passed demand notes to tellers and threatened to shoot them if they did not comply. Because of the threats involving firearms, law enforcement sources noted, McLaughlin was transferred to the FBI’s New York office and booked on federal armed robbery charges.
RT12312015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above