FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JUNE 22, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 19
Lucky ducklings saved by
parks offi cers in Howard Beach
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
Ten ducklings that were trapped in
a storm drain at a Howard Beach park
caught a lucky break when they were rescued
by offi cers of the U.S. Park Police
and the NYPD.
On Th ursday, June 15, U.S. Park
Police Offi cers Cobaj and McGarry were
patrolling in the park when a park visitor
fl agged them down and told them about
some ducks that were stuck in a storm
drain, which was located near the North
Channel Bridge.
Upon their arrival, Offi cers Cobaj and
McGarry saw 10 ducklings stuck inside
the drain. Local police offi cers and the
emergency service unit helped Cobaj and
McGarry lift the metal gate so they could
get inside the gate.
Offi cer McGarry climbed down into the
storm drain and was able to retrieve nine
of the 10 ducklings. Th e 10th duckling
A rescue mission at Charles Park in Howard Beach was all that it was ‘quacked’ up to be.
wandered further down the storm drain,
but would later be coaxed out by NYPD
Sergeant Quwella Brown.
All of the ducks are said to be healthy
Photos courtesy of the USPP NYFO
and will most likely survive the experience.
Th e ducks will be cared for by National
Park Service Biologist Bill Parker until
they are old enough to return to the park.
Parents of Karina Vetrano applaud state’s
approval of expanded DNA testing
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
agiudice@qns.com
@A_GiudiceReport
Th e parents of slain jogger Karina
Vetrano held a press conference at the
intersection of 164th Avenue and 83rd
Street in Howard Beach last Friday aft ernoon
to applaud the New York State
Commission on Forensic Science for voting
in favor of allowing the use of Familial
DNA Matching (FM) in certain cases.
Phil and Cathie Vetrano began advocating
for FM in New York State aft er the
investigation into their daughter’s murder
last August turned up few leads. Even
aft er a break in the case led to the arrest
of Brooklyn’s Chanel Lewis — who was
picked up by detectives in February and
ultimately indicted for murdering and
sexually abusing Karina Vetrano — they
continued to participate in a public campaign
to allow for FM in Th e Empire State.
“Th e Vetranos wanted to make sure
no family ever had to go through what
they went through. Even through their
grief and loss, they saw an opportunity to
do that, and they made it happen,” said
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheff er Amato.
“Th is community owes the Commission,
NYC’s District Attorneys, the NYPD, and
most of all the Vetranos a great debt for
their tenacity and selfl essness. Th ey took
a personal tragedy and made it about
protecting the community. I’m proud to
be their representative, and I’m proud to
stand with them today as they usher in a
new era of protection and greater clarity,
both for victims and their families as well
as for the accused.”
Karina Vetrano’s parents held a rally praising the vote that allowed Familial DNA Matching in New
York State.
Pheff er Amato has been a staunch a
supporter of the Vetranos aft er their
tragic loss, and was the sponsor of an
Assembly bill to authorize FM legislatively
if the Commission hadn’t passed it
with a vote.
For six months, police and investigators
scoured the Gateway National Recreation
Area for clues as to who attacked and brutally
killed Vetrano last August. As leads
were drying up, the Vetranos and several
state and city elected offi cials pushed for
the use of FM.
FM allows investigators to pursue partial
matches of genetic evidence recovered
from a crime scene with the profi
les of criminals in the state and national
DNA databanks.
On June 16, the New York State
Photo courtesy of Daniel Off ner
Commission on Forensic Science and its
DNA Subcommittee adopted guidelines
permitting the use of FM by a vote of 9
to 2, making New York the 11th state to
allow the use of FM.
“It is my hope, that with the New York
State Commission on Forensic Science’s
new guidelines, we will start to see the
implementation of an improved means of
investigation that has been proven eff ective
in other parts of the country,” said
state Senator Joseph Addabbo. “Th ank
you to the Vetranos, who have been vocal
advocates for the use of familial DNA,
while living with their own personal tragedy.
It is thanks to them and many that
the state will be better equipped to seek
out criminals, when investigators have
run out of leads.”
Photo courtesy of NYPD
The man wanted for a June 10 shooting at a
social club in Hollis
Gunman fi res
on man over
money beef
at Hollis club
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
rpozarycki@qns.com / @robbpoz
Police need the public’s help in fi nding
the suspect who shot a 29-year-old
man three times during an argument at
a Hollis social club earlier this month.
Th e NYPD released on June 20 video
footage of the perpetrator involved in
the assault that took place at 12:15 a.m.
on June 10 inside the club located on
Jamaica Avenue between 195th Place
and 196th Street (the video can be seen
on QNS.com).
Th e security camera footage video
shows the gunman — described as a
black male standing 5 foot 8 inches
tall, weighing 180 pounds with brown
eyes and short black hair while wearing
a red T-shirt, blue jeans and white
sneakers — involved in a violent tussle
with the 29-year-old man near a
game table.
According to NBC New York, the
two men got into the altercation over
money at the club, which was reportedly
operating an illegal gambling facility.
As the video shows, the suspect
pulled out a silver handgun just before
the victim began pushing him toward
a wall. Th e gunman fi red a shot at the
man’s face, then another at his at his
chest before the victim lost his footing
and fell to the fl oor. Th e victim managed
to get up and move away from the
gunman as he headed toward a door.
Aft er fi ring the shots, police said,
the perpetrator fl ed the scene on foot
southbound along 196th Street.
Offi cers from the 103rd Precinct and
EMS units responded to the scene. Th e
victim was rushed to Jamaica Hospital,
where he is listed in stable condition.
Anyone with information regarding
the shooting or the suspect’s whereabouts
is urged to call Crime Stoppers
at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-
57-PISTA), visit their website or send
a text message to 274637 (CRIMES),
then enter TIP577. All calls and messages
are kept confi dential.
