8 The Courier SUN • OCTOber 30, 2014 FOR Breaking news visit www.couriersun.com 107th Precinct Fresh Meadows, Cunningham Heights, Hilltop Village, Electchester and Pomonok Mother charged with murder of 4-year-old girl at homeless shelter The mother of the child found dead at a Jamaica homeless shelter has been arrested and charged with murder, according to police. The 4-year-old girl, Linayjah Meraldo, was found unresponsive and unconscious by police on Oct. 23 at 12:50 p.m. at 80-20 134th St., authorities said. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene. The location has been identified by published reports as the Briarwood Family Residence, a women’s and children’s temporary shelter. On Oct. 24, 35-year-old Latoya Curry, Linayjah’s mother, was charged with second-degree murder in connection to her daughter’s death, police said. She was also arraigned on charges of assault and endangering the welfare of a child. According to District Attorney Richard Brown, Curry, who was living at the shelter with her five children, became angry Wednesday night when the toddler squirted hand cream on the kitchen floor. Curry then allegedly hit her daughter in the stomach and face “so hard that a tooth was dislodged.” The 35-year-old then allegedly dragged the girl into the bedroom and threw her against a wall and onto the bed, striking her again in her face and stomach, Brown said. The district attorney said the 4-year-old child then cried and complained about pain in her abdomen, but fell asleep. The following morning, Linayjah woke up with a slight fever and continued to complain about pain in her stomach. Then between 10 and 11:45 a.m. on the same day, Linayjah took a nap, and when Curry checked on her, she was unresponsive. According to the office of the Medical Examiner, who ruled the toddler’s death a homicide, Linayjah died from blunt force injuries to her torso. An autopsy showed that the toddler had internal injuries including multiple recent and healed rib fractures, a torn small intestine, internal bleeding and extensive bruising, and the child also appeared malnourished. 109th Precinct Flushing, Queensboro Hill, College Point, Malba, Whitestone, Beechhurst and Bay Terrace Police shoot and kill knife-wielding man in Flushing One man is dead after he confronted police with a utility knife in Flushing, according to authorities. According to published reports, the man, Joseph Priolo, checked into the hospital early Sunday morning complaining of chest pains. Following his release, he returned a short time later, brandishing the weapon. After he fled the hospital, cops were called, and at about 7:40 a.m., they began to canvas the area. Then at about 8:24 a.m., a suspect, who fit Priolo’s description, was seen in front of 43-32 Kissena Blvd., according to authorities. Police approached Priolo on foot and he then confronted one of the officers while holding a utility knife in one hand, authorities said. The officer then shot his gun twice, striking Priolo once in the torso. Priolo was taken to New York Hospital Queens where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Four members of the NYPD were taken to New York Hospital Queens for treatment of tinnitus. 110th Precinct Corona and Elmhurst Suspect wanted for committing lewd act in front of girl in Corona Cops are looking for a man who they say committed a lewd act in front of a 10-year-old girl in Corona earlier this month. The incident took place at about 8:10 a,m. on Oct. 15 near Lewis Avenue and 101st Street. The suspect “displayed himself” in front of the child before fleeing in an unknown direction, police said. Authorities have released a sketch of the suspect and describe him as Hispanic, about 20 years old, approximately 6 feet tall and 140 pounds, with short black hair. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477). s police beat Compiled by Cristabelle Tumola and angy altamirano Photo courtesy of NYPD Photo courtesy of NYPD Man shot dead after attacking cops with hatchet in Jamaica A hatchet-wielding man was shot and killed in Jamaica after injuring two police officers in what has been called a “terrorist act.” The incident occurred at about 2 p.m. on Oct. 23 near Jamaica Avenue and 162nd Street, according to police. As four rookie cops assigned to the 103rd Precinct were posing for a picture for a freelance photographer, the man, unprovoked and not saying a word, charged at them with the hatchet, authorities said. One of the officers, 24-year-old Joseph Meeker, was struck in the arm with the approximately 18-inch-long metal hatchet, police said. A second, 25-year-old Kenneth Healey, was struck in the head. The two other officers then shot at the man, identified in media reports as 32-year-old Zale Thompson of Queens Village. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A bystander, a 29-year-old woman, was shot in the back during the gunfire and taken to the hospital. The incident critically wounded Healey and the woman. Meeker was released from the hospital on Oct. 24, reports said. A probe of Thompson’s social media posts and other Internet activity revealed that he was a “self-radicalized” Muslim convert, according to published reports. In a news conference on Oct. 24 NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton called the attack a “terrorist act,” reports said. It is believed that he acted alone, though authorities were still investigating. Photos courtesy of NYPD Suspect wanted in connection to 21 Queens, Bronx commercial break-ins Police are looking for a man wanted in connection with a string of citywide commercial burglaries. In a total of 21 incidents, starting in June in Rosedale and most recently occurring on Oct. 20 in the Bronx, at least one suspect broke into commercial establishments via the roof, side or rear doors, or ventilation ducts while the businesses were closed, according to authorities. Money from cash registers and broken-into ATMs, as well as miscellaneous items, such as cigarettes, were taken during the thefts. In Queens, the burglaries have occurred in Laurelton, Broad Channel, Jamaica, Astoria, Queens Village, Bayside, Hollis, Glen Oaks, College Point, Richmond Hill and Flushing. The other break-ins all happened in the Bronx. The NYPD has released surveillance photos of the male suspect wanted in an incident on Sept. 12 in Richmond Hill. During this burglary, at about 8 p.m. the suspect entered 88-24 Van Wyck Expressway via the roof, damaged the security system but did not remove any property, police said. 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