4 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 8, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Photo courtesy of Alfredo Centola
The white 2018 Mercedes-Benz C300 that striked a fi re hydrant at the corner of Fifth Avenue and
the service road of the Whitestone Expressway.
Flushing man cuff ed for attempted rape and assault
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com
@QNS
A Flushing man was arrested for
breaking into a neighborhood home and
trying to force himself on a woman
and beat her mother when she tried to
call for help, prosecutors announced on
Monday, Aug. 5.
Solomon Hudgins, 27, was arraigned
on charges of fi rst-degree burglary,
fi rst-degree attempted rape, second-degree
assault, fi rst-degree sexual abuse,
forcible touching and fourth-degree
criminal mischief. Bail was set
at $275,000 bond/$200,000 cash and
Hudgins was ordered to return to court
on Aug. 9.
If convicted, Hudgins faces up to 25
years in prison.
“Th is was a vicious attack on a 64-yearold
woman, who did her best to fi ght off
the nearly naked defendant in the middle
of the night,” said acting District
Attorney John M. Ryan. “Th e victim’s
94-year-old mother tried to call the
police, only to have the defendant grab
the phone from her and strike her with
it. If the charges are proven, this defendant
deserves nothing less than a signifi -
cant term of incarceration.”
According to the charges, at 2 a.m. on
Aug. 4, Hudgins allegedly tore open the
window screen of a bathroom window
and entered the home of a 64-year-old
woman and her 94-year-old mother.
Prosecutors said the 64-year-old
woman saw Hudgins, who allegedly had
his pants down and his genitals exposed.
Seconds later, he allegedly grabbed the
woman, groped her breast and touched
her genitals.
Hudgins then allegedly tried to pull
the victim’s pants down as she struggled
to fi ght him off , law enforcement sources
said.
As the victim’s mother tried to call 911,
Hudgins allegedly took the phone from
her and struck her hand with it, causing
both swelling and bruising. Hudgins
then fl ed the scene, but was picked up by
offi cers from the 109th Precinct shortly
aft erward.
NE Queens pols seek
permanent chopper route
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
Two lawmakers are calling on the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to
make an alternative helicopter route permanent
following its success in northeast
Queens.
Since the agency implemented the sixmonth
pilot program for the alternative
North Shore Helicopter Route in October
2018, residents have reported signifi cant
decreases in helicopter noise during the
busy summer months. Now, Councilman
Paul Vallone and Congressman Tom
Suozzi want the FAA to make the successful
pilot program permanent.
Beginning in October 2018, the FAA
tested the alternative route which shift -
ed air traffi c away from northeast Queens,
cutting helicopter and seaplane traffi
c by up to 50 percent. In April 2019,
Vallone and Suozzi requested a 180-day
program extension, which benefi ts residents
in Bayside, Bay Terrace, Malba and
Whitestone until Oct. 2, 2019.
“From Memorial Day to Labor Day
and into the fall, northeast Queens residents
will be free to enjoy their backyards,
parks and waterfronts without the constant
assault of helicopter noise that unfortunately
in past years became the norm,”
said Vallone.
Th e FAA established the original North
Shore Helicopter Route in 2008 so that
pilots had a voluntary path to travel over
the Long Island Sound. In 2012, the agency
mandated pilots to use the route when
fl ying to and from the East End. In 2020,
the FAA ruled to keep the route active
through 2020.
“I am grateful to the FAA for heeding
my numerous phone calls, letters and personal
entreaties to address the helicopter
noise in Whitestone,” Suozzi said. “All
reports indicate that the pilot program
has resulted in dramatic quality of life
improvements for the residents of northeastern
Queens. Now, Council Member
Vallone, the folks at We Love Whitestone,
and I will continue pleading with the FAA
to take this very successful pilot program
and make it permanent.”
FAA conducted tests and evaluated VFR
helicopters and fl oatplanes operating at
New York City heliports and seaports
during the six-month period. LaGuardia
and New York TRACON used the alternative
route during the six-month period.
Another crash in Whitestone
prompts new stop sign call
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Following yet another car accident
on Saturday at the corner block of Fift h
Avenue and the Whitestone Expressway
service road, Whitestone residents are
calling for a one-way street sign toward
the bridge to prevent future accidents.
“Once again, the accident took out
the hydrant,” Alfredo Centola of the We
Love Whitestone Civic Association told
QNS. “Th e hydrant could have been a
person, a child, or the woman and her
daughter that just drove away from the
legal spot in front of the hydrant. Once
again, tragedy averted. For now.”
On Aug. 3, at approximately 1:30 p.m.,
the driver of a white 2018 Mercedes-
Benz C300, was seen by a New York
State Trooper turning onto Fift h Avenue
and striking a fi re hydrant, according to
police.
Th e driver, identifi ed as 26-year-old
Malique Gill, of the Bronx, was taken
into custody for having an active bench
warrant with the NYPD, police said. Th e
incident has occurred on the block. A
trooper was patrolling the Whitestone
few months ago, a tractor-trailer took
Bridge and conducted a traffi c stop on
out the hydrant and backed up, rupturing
Gill, who was suspected of leaving the
its diesel tank leaking gallons of fuel
scene of an
into the ground, Centola said.
Gill was remanded to Manhattan
In another incident, Centola said, a
Central Booking pending arraignment,
car swerved into oncoming traffi c and
police said.
lost control totaling a parked jeep.
It’s certainly not the fi rst time such an
Fortunately, the woman and her daughter
got out a few minutes before the accident.
“Th ere have been too many close calls
in recent years,” Centola said. “Th is
block is dangerous and cars take a wide
turn at highway speed, that is why residents
of Fift h Avenue are looking to
make it a one-way going towards the
bridge, to save lives.”
Photo courtesy of Tom Suozzi’s offi ce
From left: George Mirtsopolous of We Love
Whitestone Civic Association, Congressman Tom
Suozzi, Councilman Paul Vallone
Photo via Shutterstock
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