Tag Archives: the bronx

US

NYC Crime: 2 young children stabbed to death in the Bronx; mother in custody

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MOUNT HOPE, The Bronx (WABC) — Police are investigating after a three-year-old boy and an 11-month-old boy were stabbed to death in the Bronx.

It happened at a family shelter on Echo Place in Mount Hope on Saturday evening. The boys were found with multiple stab wounds to the neck and torso.

NYPD held an update Saturday night:

When police arrived they found the mother inside the apartment on the third floor acting erratic. Sources say the mother then tried to burn the apartment down with the stove and then turned the water on.

Police then took the mother into custody. She was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Less than an hour later, a second 911 call was then received reporting two unresponsive children at the same location. Officers returned to the apartment where they found the three-year-old and 11-month old with stab wounds. Officers and another family member attempted to resuscitate the boys, but they were unsuccessful.

Neighbors who live down the hall say the walls in the building are thin. They say they head the parents of the two young boys arguing and screaming earlier in the night. They also heard the boys father hysterically crying for help.

“He was screaming hysterically. He was screaming ‘help me.’ And I came and opened my door and I seen him coming down the hall with the two boys in his arms. They were dead, they were dead. There was blood everywhere,” said Shannon Holyfield.

The boys were rushed to Columbia Presbyterian in extremely critical condition where they later died.

ALSO READ | 16-year-old stabbed by another teen inside Staten Island Mall

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US

NYPD car crashed into eight pedestrians after being cut off

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An NYPD officer struck eight pedestrians — including a child and her grandmother — in The Bronx Thursday afternoon while responding to an emergency call, cops said.

The marked patrol car was responding to a grand larceny in progress just after 3:15 p.m. when it jumped the curb near Hoe and Westchester avenues and hit the pedestrians before crashing into a pole, according to police and law-enforcement sources.

The marked patrol car was responding to a grand larceny in progress just after 3:15 p.m.
The car jumped the curb near Hoe and Westchester avenues.
Cops believe the patrol car was either cut off or struck by another vehicle.
The two officers in the vehicle were also injured but it’s not clear to what extent.
A police car hit eight people in The Bronx Thursday afternoon.
Three of the pedestrians were left in critical condition following the accident.

Three of the pedestrians were left in critical condition, cops said. It’s unclear if the girl and her grandmother were among those seriously injured and the conditions of the other five pedestrians were also not immediately clear.

All were expected to survive, police said. 

Cops believe the patrol car was either cut off or struck by another vehicle, forcing it off the road, the sources said.

The two officers in the vehicle were also injured but not seriously.

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Technology

Bronx deli owner says illegal fights good for neighborhood

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A Bronx deli owner has a funny way of showing his disapproval for rampant violence in the neighborhood — once a year, he lets members of a notorious fight club beat each other up in his shop.

Best Hood Deli 1 owner Scott Oudeh insists opening his doors to the underground fight club Rumble — which has been broken up by the sheriff’s department in the past for unlicensed combat, guns and drugs — is actually a way to keep the peace.  

“It’s to stop the guns and the violence,” insisted Oudeh, 28, of giving the fighters a place to battle for the past four years. “It’s to show people that you might have beef with each other, but you don’t have to resort to shooting. Just put the gloves on and fight.” 

Footage of the most recent bodega brawl — attended by roughly 30 screaming fans and even a toddler — shows one man flailing his fists until he brutally cracks another in the head, sending him into a stockpile of two-liter soda bottles that burst all over the floor of the Melrose deli.

Despite the vicious nature of the fights, Oudeh said no one has ever been seriously injured and the amateur combatants hug it out and shake hands afterward.

“If there’s beef, it gets squashed,” the former boxer and high school wrestler said. 

In response to a clip of the fight posted on TikTok, one user commented, “Love it. Keeping the peace the right way.” Another said, “Better than guns.”

But others said the fights are bad for business — and the neighborhood.

“I like Scott, and he runs a good, clean store, but that’s a stupid idea,” said Victor Lopez, 55, who’s also a former boxer.

Scott Oudeh lets members of a notorious fight club beat each other up in his shop.
J.C. Rice for NY Post

“You see in the video how close those guys get to the fridges and all the glass. One guy cuts himself, gets badly hurt, and Scott will get locked up.”

Nai Longli, 45, who runs the laundromat next door was shocked when The Post showed him footage of the fight.

“Oh my gosh. We always wave to each other, and he’s a great neighbor, but I never knew that kind of thing went on there,” he said.

But the deli man sees the fights as a form of public service.

“The South Bronx is known for a lot of violence, and we’re trying to calm it down in a way the neighborhood understands it,” Oudeh said. “It’s a free event. I have to close my store when they come, so I actually lose some money, but for the community, I’m willing to lose a few hundred bucks.”

Year-to-date, the 40th Precinct, whose cops patrol the neighborhood, has logged 416 felony assaults compared to 312 in 2021, a 33 percent surge. Murders are up from six to seven, a 17 percent bump and misdemeanor assaults climbed 12 percent from 436 to 490. Shooting incidents are down slightly from 28 to 25, or 11 percent.

Since 2018, the police have responded to the deli for a handful of shopliftings, robberies and disputes, but have never received complaints of underground boxing matches there.

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Health

Legionnaires’ outbreak confirmed in Bronx neighborhood

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An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease has been reported in a Bronx neighborhood, city health officials said Friday.

Four people in the borough’s Highbridge neighborhood have been diagnosed with the disease, which is a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria that forms in warm water, according to the city Department Of Health. Other individuals are awaiting test results.

Legionnaires’ is not contagious and is treatable with antibiotics if caught early, officials said. 

The health department said it is investigating and “sampling and testing water from all cooling tower systems in the area of the cluster.”

The Legionella bacteria typically grows in “cooling towers, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks, and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems,” the department said.

Those experiencing flu-like symptoms such as coughing, fever and difficulty breathing are encouraged to get tested by their doctor. Those over the age of 50, cigarette smokers, chronic lung disease and those with compromised immune systems are considered higher risk to Legionnaires’.

“Any New Yorkers with flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider as soon as possible,” Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in a statement.

“Legionnaires’ disease can be effectively treated if diagnosed early, but New Yorkers at higher risk, like adults aged 50 and older, those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin.”

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US

NYC teen Jeremiah Ryan arraigned on murder charge for shooting death of Bronx girl Angellyh Yambo

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A teenager accused of killing a 16-year old bystander and wounding two other teens outside a Bronx high school was arraigned on a murder charge Saturday night.

Suspect Jeremiah Ryan, accused of shooting 16-year-old Angellyh Yambo, was ordered held without bail until at least his next court appearance on Monday.

Ryan, who was arrested earlier Saturday, appeared in a black hoodie and black sweatpants in the Bronx courthouse.

As he entered the courtroom, he briefly turned around to look at both his parents who were sitting in the audience. 

The prosecution requested that Ryan be remanded without cash bail due to the severity of the charges — which could mean a life sentence if he’s convicted.

Prosecutors also noted the evidence cops obtained as reason not to release the teen — including footage of the shooting, six 9mm shell casings found at the scene, a gun that was seen tossed out of Ryan’s building, and the clothing and sneakers he was allegedly wearing at the time of the shooting.

Angellyh Yambo was 16 years old.
manuel.yambo/Facebook

Ryan’s defense attorney Deveraux Cannick conceded to the people’s request “for the time being.”

”We are happy to revisit the issue [of bail]… I’m not sure remand is appropriate but for the time being we will consent [to the people’s request] and revisit after discovery,” he said in court Saturday.

Judge Vidya Pappachan agreed to hold Ryan without bail, although Ryan has a perfect score for recommended release from the NYC Criminal Justice Agency because he has no prior criminal record.

“I do understand that Mr. Ryan does not have a criminal record, and has received a score by the CJA of 25 over 25, based on the charges that are before this court, and the allegations set forth by the people, I do not believe, this court does not believe that any monetary bail will be appropriate as the least restrictive condition to ensure the defendant’s return to court,” Pappachan said. “He is remanded at this juncture.”

As Ryan was led from the courtroom, he again turned to his parents. “I love you,” his mother told him. 

He turned and responded, “I love you, too.” 

His dad followed up with, “love you.”

Ryan told his parents he loved them before leaving the courtroom.
Facebook/Destiny Latimer

Ryan, who is additionally charged of attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon, is expected to appear back in court Monday.

After the arraignment Cannick said his client appears to be doing “as well as expected,” adding that he felt for Ryan’s family.

“I’m sure like every other mother in a situation like this you don’t know what’s going on,“ he told The Post. “I’m sure she’s grieving like all the other mothers right now.”

Angellyh Yambo was shot dead a block away from University Prep Charter High School on Friday.
Facebook/Angellyh Yambo

Outside of the courtroom, Ryan’s parents did not offer any comment other than to say “we’re fine.”

Ryan allegedly opened fire during around 1:45 p.m. Friday near the South Bronx Educational Campus on East 156th Street during an argument with about four other individuals, a witness told The Post. When a member of the group made a motion as if he was going for a weapon, Ryan drew his gun and started shooting, the witness said.

Angellyh, a student at the University Prep Charter High School, was fatally struck in the as she got caught in the crossfire. A bullet pierced her lung and pulmonary artery, according to the complaint against Ryan.

Two other 16-year-old students were wounded — a girl and a boy who attend Mott Haven Village Preparatory High School and University Heights Secondary School, which is located on the same campus. They are expected to survive.

None of the victims were intended targets, police said.

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Business

Woman sought for questioning in fatal shooting near NYC Dunkin’

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Cops released video Sunday of a woman who allegedly sparked the deadly shooting of a Jamaican immigrant following a fight that broke out at a Bronx Dunkin’ Donuts when she cut the line.

Stephaun Stewart, 24, was blasted Friday around 1:30 p.m. near the East Gun Hill Road coffee shop after he and a friend got into an argument with the woman over her cutting the line, a police source said Sunday.

“She tells them to back off because they probably have COVID,” the source said. 

The victim and his friend then left the shop, but the woman followed them out, the source said.

The woman can be seen on surveillance video making a call.

She then met up with a man between 17 and 25 years old and had another confrontation with Stewart, police said. Police sources said the man was her boyfriend.

The woman allegedly cut the victim in the Dunkin’ line.
DCPI
The video footage shows the woman following the men outside.
DCPI
Police investigate the crime scene where Stephaun Stewart was found unconscious with a gunshot to his midsection.
Peter Gerber

“During that argument, the female and suspect mentioned something about getting a gun,” the source said. “At that point, the male goes off into a building.”

Stewart and his friend then split up and went in different directions. Police believe Stewart was shot to death sometime after that.

Stewart immigrated from Jamaica in December 2021, police said. He had no criminal record in the city.

Stephau Stewart pictured with his sisters and cousins.
Stewart was shot Friday near the East Gun Hill Road coffee shop.
The Bronx Dunkin Donuts is located near East Gun Hill Road.
Peter Gerber

A Dunkin’ worker on Saturday told The Post that Stewart was not even involved in the dispute.

“She was just arguing for no reason. He was just there, that’s it, just listening,” said the employee, who did not want to be named. “He shot the wrong guy.”

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Business

Family, coworkers recall ‘jovial’ man killed in Dunkin’ dispute

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A man shot after an argument inside a Bronx Dunkin’ was a recent immigrant from Jamaica working to support his mother and sisters back home, family members told The Post.

Stephen Stewart, 24, was found unconscious with a gunshot wound to his midsection at 3559 Holland Ave., after a heated exchange with a woman inside the eatery spilled out onto the street, police said.

“He always be the one to carry the peace. Most of the family is devastated. He’s just that person,” his aunt, who did not give her name, said in an interview. “I don’t know why somebody would do this to him, over a simple issue. That didn’t call for somebody losing life.”

Stewart had come to the United States just three months ago, his family said. He worked at Cooler Runnings Jamaican Restaurant on Nereid Avenue where coworkers said he was “always dancing.”

Stephen Stuart was a recent immigrant from Jamaica.
Courtesy of the Stuart family
Workers at a Cooler Runnings Jamaican Restaurant fondly remember Stephen Stewart for his “dancing.”
Courtesy of the Stuart family

“He was a very jovial guy, hardworking. He’s been here like three weeks,” said one person at the restaurant, who declined to give his name. “We are all so traumatized.”

Stewart and a companion left the Dunkin’ Friday, after the woman became irate that they had been standing too close to her, with one of the men not wearing a mask, police sources said.

The woman allegedly followed, and threatened to get her boyfriend, Stewart’s friend said. A man showed up moments later and told the woman to “go get my s—t,” said the pal, who said he ran while Stewart stayed behind.

When the friend came back to the scene, Stewart was dead, according to his friend.

A woman allegedly followed Stephen Stewart and his friend after a dispute.
Peter Gerber
A Dunkin’ worker claims the alleged shooter “shot the wrong guy” in the dispute.
Peter Gerber

Stuart was not even involved in the dispute, a Dunkin’ Donuts worker said.

“She was just arguing for no reason. He was just there, that’s it, just listening,” said the employee, who did not want to be named. “He shot the wrong guy.”

Additional reporting by David Meyer

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US

Police arrest Bronx man for smearing feces on woman’s face

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A Bronx man who allegedly smeared human feces on a woman’s face on a subway platform last week has been arrested, NYPD said.

Frank Abrokwa, 37, approached a 43-year-old woman who was sitting on a bench on the southbound platform of the Wakefield–241st Street subway station in The Bronx around 5:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 21, cops said.

Suddenly, without saying a word, he hit the unsuspecting woman in the face and the back of her head with human feces before fleeing, footage released by police showed. It’s not clear whether the feces was his.

Abrokwa was arrested on Monday and charged with forcible touching, menacing, disorderly conduct and harassment.

Mayor Eric Adams called the incident a “horrific experience for anyone to go through” at an unrelated press conference Monday afternoon. 

“Human waste or someone spitting in your face, those are real signs of mental health issues … and we really must dig into how we’re dealing with these mental health issues,” the mayor said.

The nauseating incident comes amid a frightening uptick in Big Apple subway crime.

Abrokwa was charged with forcible touching, menacing, disorderly conduct and harassment.
DCPI
Mayor Eric Adams said Abrokwa’s assault on the unsuspecting woman was a sign of mental health issues.
DCPI

In response to the violence, Adams announced his Subway Safety Plan on Feb. 18, pledging to crack down on rule-breaking and preventing people from living on the trains and in the stations.

Adams said teams of outreach workers and city cops began last week canvassing the subways to identify mentally ill and homeless people who need to be removed and will work to get them the treatment and housing they need.

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US

Suspect charged in connection with NYPD-involved shootings

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The suspect who allegedly opened fire at a pair of cops in the Bronx on Thanksgiving Eve was arrested and charged on Saturday, police said.

Charlie Vasquez, 23, of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, faces two counts each of attempted murder, assault, criminal use of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon (loaded firearm) and reckless endangerment and menacing, the NYPD said.

Vasquez was taken into custody Wednesday night at St. Barnabas Hospital — where he was being treated after being shot once during the melee in Belmont, police and sources said. Vasquez is expected to survive, the NYPD said.

Vasquez has eight prior arrests and at least one for criminal possession of a weapon for allegedly pulling a shotgun on a 32-year-old male acquaintance during a squabble in Greenpoint on Oct. 19, 2017, police sources said.

In that that incident, Vasquez cocked the shotgun and pointed it directly at his victim before running off, the sources said. He was caught shortly after and charged with criminal possession of a weapon, a loaded firearm, menacing, with a weapon and unlawful possession of marijuana, according to cops and sources.

Charlie Vasquez faces several charges including two counts of attempted murder.

The two NYPD cops were shot in The Bronx on Wednesday night while responding to a call of a person with a gun, police said.

The suspect opened fire at East 187th Street and Beaumont Avenue around 8 p.m., police said. He was then shot by one of the wounded cops, police said.

The cops were in uniform when they arrived, and spotted a person who matched a description of the suspect sitting on a stoop.

One of the officers, Robert Holmes, 31, an eight-year veteran, told the man to remove his hands from his pockets. The gunman then allegedly pulled out a Ruger handgun and opened fire, according to police.

The other officer — Alejandra Jacobs, a female Air Force reservist with one year on the job — was shot and returned fire five times, hitting the suspect, cops said. She was shot twice in the upper right arm.

Holmes struggled with the suspect and wrestled him to the ground. That officer was shot in the armpit during the struggle.

Both cops were originally taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.

NYPD Officer Alejandra Jacobs left St. Barnabas Hospital to a round of applause from her fellow officers after she was shot twice in the arm during a gun arrest in the Bronx.
Matthew McDermott
Officer Robert Holmes was released from the hospital after he was shot in the arm on Nov. 24, 2021
Tomas E. Gaston

Jacobs was discharged from the hospital on Thanksgiving. On Friday afternoon, Holmes was wheeled out of St. Barnabas Hospital to applause and salutes from other cops.

“Within seconds, they are in a gun battle,” NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said at a press conference late Wednesday night.

“We have two incredibly brave police officers doing their job. And not complaining a bit right now, as they’re laying recovering in the hospital, eager to get back to work, and loving what they do serving the people in New York City.”

Shea called the suspect a “career criminal” and said the firearm he allegedly used was reported stolen last year in Georgia.

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Business

AOC cheers wage increase for Teamsters at NYC produce market

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrated a wage increase for Teamsters workers at a Bronx produce market, following a week-long strike that was set to end Sunday.

“Our food produce workers wanted a $1 raise after risking their lives in COVID. They were denied, asked to pay more for healthcare, & told ‘you’re lucky to even have a job,’” she tweeted Saturday afternoon of the Hunts Point Produce Market workers. “So they went on strike. Community supported them. Now they’re getting a $1.85 raise and $0 out of pocket.”

Ocasio-Cortez spent Inauguration Day picketing with the 1,400 Local 202 members who staff the market — which supplies 60 percent of the region’s produce.



Members of Local Teamsters 202 celebrate in the Bronx in front of Hunts Point Produce Market after winning a better job contract with the Hunts Produce Market management.

G.N.Miller/NYPost



Members of Local Teamsters 202 celebrate in the Bronx in front of Hunts Point Produce Market after winning a better job contract with the Hunts Produce Market management.

G.N.Miller/NYPost

Up Next

Matthew Stafford has been the Lions franchise quarterback since 2009,…

Ninety-seven percent of union members officially voted Saturday morning on a new contract that will boost their hourly wages by $1.85 over the course of three years, Local 202 President Danny Kane Jr. said. 

The first crew was set to return to work at 2 a.m. Sunday.

“It’s not often that workers take their fate in their hands and decide to put their hands together to fight for a better tomorrow. These workers did that,” said Kane Jr. while celebrating the wage increase with a champagne toast outside the union’s Bronx headquarters, flanked by state Assemblywoman Anada Septimno and City Councilman Rafael Salamanca.



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