By Tien-Shun Lee
A 23-year-old man, who lived in the Electchester Houses on the border of Fresh Meadows and Flushing, was stabbed five times in the torso after being robbed of $300 in cash on the corner of 65th Avenue and 162nd Street Sunday night, police said.
Three Flushing suspects, Lawrence Samuelson, 19, of 49-43 167th St., Kenneth Torres, 20, of 162-229 Laburnum St., and Gerardo Gomez, 20, of 164-51 Underhill Ave. were arrested at about 7:45 p.m. Sunday by officers from the Queens South Taskforce after being chased for a short time on foot, police said.
They are charged with second-degree attempted murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon, the police said.
The victim, Aaron Gutierrez, was listed in stable condition at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens on Monday.
“It’s so scary. I wish the police could do something around here. They should protect this neighborhood,” said a neighbor who lives on the corner of 162nd Street and 65th Avenue, who preferred not to be identified. “I don’t feel safe here, honestly.”
The neighbor recently installed bars in her window after her house was burglarized in June.
Another neighbor, who has lived at 161-17 65th Ave. for 51 years, said she did not feel unsafe, even though her house was broken into in December.
“Basically, it’s a peaceful area,” she said.
Samuelson’s girlfriend and two of her friends sat on the stoop of the defendant’s house Monday, discussing the incident.
“My boyfriend, he’s a sweetheart. He just gets influenced too easily,” said the girlfriend, Diana, who preferred not to give her last name.
Diana said Samuelson held a full-time job in construction and was working towards getting his GED.
“I’m sorry that these things happen over here,” said Samuelson’s neighbor, who lives at 49-44 167th St. “It’s not easy. They’re not raised by their mother, they’re raised only by their father.”
According to Diana’s friend, who lives next door to Gomez, neither Gomez nor Torres were employed or enrolled in school.
Reach reporter Tien-Shun Lee by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or by phone at 220-0300, Ext. 155
