Police Blotter
109th Precinct
Couple robbed of thousands
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
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.
Flushing
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 unidentified
individuals pushed them to the
ground and removed the woman’s
purse, which contained $10,000 in
cash. The suspects then fled the
home inside a silver SUV.
The incident was reported to
the 109th Precinct. There 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), All calls are kept
confidential.
113th Precinct
South Jamaica
Teen arsonist cuffed for deadly blaze
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
A Brooklyn teen is facing murder
and arson charges for allegedly
setting a fire in a Jamaica apartment
building that led to the death of two men
trapped inside.
Prosecutors announced that 17-
year-old Kahj Woods, of Fountain
Avenue, was arraigned on June 13
on charges of second-degree murder,
second-degree manslaughter and
first- 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 fire 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 afternoon blaze that was
allegedly intentionally set in a
three-story, attached structure that
houses a church on the ground floor
and another next door. This was a
horrible fire 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 fire in the
hallway on the ground floor of 95-32
150th St. in Jamaica. Woods’ great
grandmother lives on the second
floor 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. They 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 in juries.
107th Precinct
Pomonok
One injured in apartment fire
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
The FDNY is investigating the cause
of a fire 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 fire at 156-03 71st Ave. The FDNY
deployed 12 units to the scene,
where there was a fire in one of the
apartments on the seventh floor.
Firefighters got the blaze under
control 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 lifethreatening
injuries.
She was taken to NewYork
Presbyterian Hospital by EMS.
One firefighter was also taken to
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens for
treatment. The Fire Marshal will
determine the cause of the fire.
112th Precinct
Rego Park
Candy store workers slashed in heist
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
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 fled the scene.
Officers from the 112th Precinct
responded to the incident. The 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.
No arrests were made as of
press time.
10 TIMESLEDGER, JUNE 21-27, 2019 BT QNS.COM
/QNS.COM
