12 THE QUEENS COURIER • JUNE 20, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
police beat COMPILED BY EMILY DAVENPORT AND ROBERT POZARYCKI
107th Precinct
Fresh Meadows
Father’s Day blaze at
the Pomonok Houses
leaves two injured
Th e FDNY is investigating the cause of
a fi re that left two people injured at the
Pomonok Houses on Sunday.
According to the FDNY, a call came in
at 6:21 p.m. on June 16 regarding a fi re
at 156-03 71st Ave. Th e FDNY deployed
12 units to the scene, where there was a
fi re in one of the apartments on the seventh
fl oor.
Firefi ghters got the blaze under control
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and pulled a female victim out of
the apartment. A report from the Citizen
App indicated that she was unconscious
but did not appear to have life-threatening
injuries. She was taken to New York
Presbyterian Hospital by EMS.
One fi refi ghter was also taken to
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens for treatment.
Th e Fire Marshal will determine the
cause of the fi re.
109th Precinct
Flushing, College Point,
Whitestone
Couple robbed of $10,000
in Flushing home
Two people came to a Flushing home
last week looking to buy a car — and
instead wound up losing their money to
robbers, according to police.
Law enforcement sources said the caper
took place at 7:45 p.m. on June 13 inside
a home on Cherry Avenue near Union
Street.
According to police, the victims — a
25-year-old woman and a 23-year-old
man — came to the home as part of a
pre-arranged visit in order to buy a car.
Upon arriving at the home, authorities
said, two unidentifi ed individuals pushed
them to the ground and removed the
woman’s purse, which contained $10,000
in cash. Th e suspects then fl ed the home
inside a silver SUV.
Th e incident was reported to the 109th
Precinct. Th ere were no serious injuries.
On June 15, the NYPD released security
camera images of the suspects, who are
described as black men between 25 and
30 years of age.
Anyone with information regarding
the suspects’ whereabouts can call Crime
Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish,
dial 888-57-PISTA), visit the Crime
Stoppers website or send a direct message
on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and
messages are kept confi dential.
103rd Precinct
Jamaica, Hollis, Lakewood
Brooklyn teen charged in
fi re that left two dead
A Brooklyn teen is facing murder and
arson charges for allegedly setting a fi re
in a Jamaica apartment building that led
to the death of two men trapped inside.
Prosecutors announced that 17-yearold
Kahj Woods, of Fountain Avenue,
was arraigned on June 13 on charges of
second-degree murder, second-degree
manslaughter and fi rst- and fourth-degree
arson. Woods was remanded to
custody and is due to return to court
on July 16.
If convicted, Woods faces up to 25
years to life in prison.
“A teenager is accused of setting a
fi re that tragically killed two men last
December,” said acting District Attorney
John M. Ryan. “It is fortunate that no
one else was injured or killed during this
Sunday aft ernoon blaze that was allegedly
intentionally set in a three-story,
attached structure that houses a church
on the ground fl oor and another next
door. Th is was a horrible fi re that should
never have happened and the two men
killed should still be alive.”
According to charges, at 3 p.m. on
Dec. 23, 2018, Woods allegedly intentionally
set a fi re in the hallway on
the ground fl oor of 95-32 150th St.
in Jamaica. Woods’ great grandmother
lives on the second fl oor of the building,
but was not present at the time.
Woods’ great grandmother was the
caretaker for David Hawkins, 64, who
was severely disabled, and John Wigfall,
86, both of whom lived with her in the
apartment. Th ey were both home at the
time of the blaze and were subsequently
trapped in the apartment.
EMS responded to the scene and
rushed the victims to Jamaica Hospital,
where Hawkins was pronounced dead.
Wigfall ultimately died of his injuries
later that evening.
112th Precinct
Forest Hills, Rego Park
Rego Park store employee
slashed in armed robbery
Detectives are looking for two men
who robbed a Rego Park store on
Saturday morning and slashed a worker
during a struggle.
Law enforcement sources said the
caper occurred at about 7:23 a.m. on
June 15, when the 21-year-old male
employee was opening up the Candy
Store located at 98-51 63rd Rd.
According to police, two male robbers
ambushed the worker from behind
and forced him into the store. A struggle
ensued, during which one of the
suspects pulled out a knife and slashed
the worker in the neck.
Cops said the bandits proceeded to
steal $2,000 from the cash register, then
fl ed the scene in an unknown direction.
Offi cers from the 112th Precinct
responded to the incident. Th e victim
was treated for injuries that were not
considered life-threatening.
Police described the two robbers as
Hispanic males of unknown ages. One
perpetrator had blonde hair, while the
other had a beard and was last seen
wearing a gray sweatshirt with baseball
cap, jeans and black sneakers.
Th e 112th Precinct Detective Squad
is still investigating, police sources said.
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