By The TimesLedger
WHITESTONE — A private school bus fell on its side when it was struck by a vehicle at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
The bus was traveling westbound on 17th Avenue and 149th Street when the second vehicle hit it, causing it to tip on its side, police said. Six children, ages 4 and 5, were taken to New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens and treated for minor injuries. The investigation was continuing.
$6,000 taken by rooftop bandits
HILLCREST — A hole was cut in the roof of a grocery store at 167-23 Union Turnpike early Wednesday morning by an unknown number of burglars, police said.
They entered the store around 1 a.m. and stole approximately $6,000 from a safe and cash register before fleeing, police said.
No arrests have been made. The investigation was ongoing.
Police investigate slur-filled letter
LITTLE NECK — A 52-year-old Arab man who lives on Little Neck Parkway entered the 111th Precinct Tuesday morning with a letter he had received containing ethnic slurs, police said.
No arrests have been made. The investigation was underway.
Apparent suicide victim found near parkway
GLEN OAKS — A 49-year-old woman was found dead in an apparent suicide at a Grand Central Parkway address near the Nassau County border at 8:15 a.m. last Thursday, police said.
The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Alleged gambling ring busted, cops nab 7 from Queens
SUFFOLK COUNTY — Suffolk County authorities arrested seven Queens men and one Long Island man Tuesday in an alleged Queens-based sports betting ring that handled an estimated $30 million in bets per year, the Suffolk County DA’s office said.
Among those arrested were two father-son teams, according to the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.
Davis Sharon, 62, of Fresh Meadows was identified by the DA’s office as the leader of the alleged gambling ring. His son, Jay Sharon, 33, also of Fresh Meadows, was one of the other seven arrested, the DA’s office said.
Suffolk County law enforcement authorities executed 10 search warrants and seized $14,744 in cash, $55,358.78 in accounts and five vehicles from the alleged gambling ring, the DA’s office said.
In addition to Queens and Suffolk counties, the alleged gambling ring crossed both state and international boundaries during its eight years in existence, the DA’s office said.
The six others arrested in the alleged ring were: Anthony Bittner, 43, of Bayside; Victor Edmond, 73, of Flushing; Charles Oshiro, 33 of Levittown, L.I.; Jerome Piansky, 61 of Flushing; his son Jonathan Piansky, 32, of Rego Park, and Gary Kashkin, 41, of Bayside.
Woman reports rape by acquaintances
FLUSHING — A woman said she was raped in Flushing Meadows Corona Park late Sunday night by two men she had already met, police said.
The 34-year-old Asian woman said she was walking through the park at 11 p.m. with two men she had met earlier in the evening, who raped her there and fled, police said.
The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for evaluation. No arrests have been made. The investigation was continuing.
Jamaica man arrested on sex-abuse charges
CAMBRIA HEIGHTS — A 42-year-old Jamaica man was arrested Friday and charged with sexual abuse in three attacks on girls ages 10, 12 and 14 in southeast Queens, police said.
William Sutter, of 171-17 108th Ave. in Jamaica, was arrested at 6:50 a.m. at the corner of Colfax and Murdock avenues in Cambria Heights for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, police said.
The Queens Special Victims’ Squad subsequently determined that Sutter was a suspect in two other cases of sexual abuse.
The other incidents were on Jan. 4, at 8:20 a.m., when a 12-year-old girl was abused at 167th Street and Sayers Avenue in Jamaica and on Jan. 31, at 9:10 a.m., when a 10-year-old was abused at 212 Street and Murdock avenue in Cambria Heights, police said.
Teen shoots cop during standoff
ROCKAWAY PARK — A police officer was shot in the left leg Thursday by an 18-year-old man who had barricaded himself in a room, police said.
Timothy Fahy, 18, allegedly shot Officer Kevin Boyle at 6:51 p.m. while barricading himself with a bat inside a bathroom at 121-07 Newport Ave., police said.
Fahy has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer, attempted aggravated assault, assault on a police officer and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
Boyle was taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition.
Fahey was taken into custody at 8:59 p.m. following a three-hour standoff, and was then brought to St. John’s Hospital for evaluation, police said.
A second officer was taken to Jamaica Hospital with a minor leg injury.
Intruder attacks, injures woman during break-in
HOLLIS — An intruder stepped into a home through a window and struck a woman in the back before fleeing early Sunday morning, police said.
The 46-year-old woman who lives at 90-51 186th St. awoke when the man entered her bedroom, police said. He hit her in the back with a blunt object but fled when she began screaming.
The woman was taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital in stable condition, police said.
It is unknown what property was removed.
No arrests have been made. The investigation was ongoing.
Victim’s body found near parkway
HAMMEL — The body of a woman who apparently committed suicide was discovered Sunday morning at Beach 91st Street and the Shore Front Parkway, police said.
Alyce Nonnan, 58, of 10-17 Cross Bay Blvd., was found dead at 8:15 a.m. by a passerby, police said.
The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Teen girl raped at gunpoint
LAURELTON — A 15-year-old girl was raped by a man who forced her into a minivan by gunpoint last week, police said.
The girl was taken inside the minivan at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the intersection of 122nd Avenue and Farmers Boulevard and driven to an unknown location where the man raped her, police said.
After the girl escaped and fled, she was taken to Jamaica Hospital for evaluation, and listed in stable condition, police said.
No arrests have been made. The investigation was ongoing.
Man sodomizes woman in attack
JAMAICA — A 33-year-old woman was pushed into a stairwell and forcibly sodomized by a man who approached her as she entered her residence in the 113th Precinct at 1 a.m. Tuesday, police said.
The victim was taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition, police said. The investigation is ongoing.
$5,000 cash stolen in weekend heist
ROCHDALE VILLAGE — Almost $5,000 in cash was stolen between Saturday night and Sunday morning from a variety store at 165-90 Baisley Blvd., police said.
Intruders entered the Rochdale Junction variety store between 7:40 p.m. Saturday and 6:40 a.m. Sunday and removed approximately $4,700 and an undetermined amount of cigarettes, police said.
No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.
Jailed soccer official pleads not guilty to sodomy charge
FOREST HILLS — An official from a Forest Hills soccer school in jail since May for allegedly sexually abusing 11-year-old players pleaded not guilty Tuesday to sodomizing six of his young footballers during overnight stays at two Queens hotels last year, the Queens District Attorney said.
Fernando Colman, 36, a construction worker from Long Island who served as vice president of the Argentina Soccer School in Forest Hills, allegedly sodomized and sexually abused the six boys during team trips, DA Richard Brown said.
Colman was arraigned before State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Grosso, who ordered him held without bail.
Colman was already being held in Nassau County in lieu of $110,000 bail on charges of sodomizing two of the same players at his home on Ludlum Avenue in Elmont, where he lived with his parents.
In a 19-count indictment, Queens prosecutors charged Colman with sodomy, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted, he faces consecutive sentences of more than 100 years in jail.
Three men arrested in worker’s comp fraud
SUNNYSIDE — Three Queens men were arrested on charges of defrauding the state workers’ compensation system of thousands of dollars by holding jobs despite claims their injuries prevented them from working, DA Richard Brown said this week.
Gerardo Boniello, 49, of 56-32 Francis Lewis Blvd., Flushing, is accused of fraudulently collecting $13,180 in workers’ compensation benefits between 1997 and 2000 while working as a cement truck driver after he had claimed a 1990 back injury prevented him from being employed, Brown said.
Roberto Vargas, 37, an automobile dealer technician who lives at 43-05 47th St., Sunnyside, allegedly collected $7,680 for an apparent workplace arm injury in April 2000, but returned to work later that year while still receiving benefits, the DA said.
Francisco Velasco, 51, of 30-49 79th St., Jackson Heights, filed recertification in July 2001 claming he had not been employed since being injured in 1997, Brown said. But he apparently worked for a construction company between 1998 and 2001 and collected $12,235 in benefits during that time, the DA said.
Man, 19, shot in stomach, police arrest suspect
LONG ISLAND CITY — A 19-year-old man was shot once in the stomach by three unidentified men as he was walking with a friend at 31st Road and 21st Street Saturday at 11:30 p.m., police said.
The suspects fled the scene and the victim went to Mt. Sinai Hospital Queens by private means where he was listed in serious but stable condition, police said.
Miguel Ramirez, 20, of 34-17 107th St., was subsequently arrested and charged with assault, police said.
Man shot repeatedly, arrested by police
CORONA — A 25-year-old Corona man was shot multiple times by three men at 97-22 57th Ave. at 1:39 a.m. Tuesday, police said.
Trevor Bailey, of 97-11 Horace Harding Expressway, was taken to Elmhurst Hospital where he was expected to survive, police said.
Bailey was subsequently arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon after a firearm was recovered at the scene, police said.
The investigation was ongoing.
Man found dead, cause unknown
ASTORIA — A 26-year-old man was found dead in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the rear of 30-11 46th St. at 7:16 p.m. Saturday, police said.
There were no signs of trauma. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Girl, 14, reports being raped Jan. 18
RICHMOND HILL — A 14-year-old girl told police in the 75th Precinct station house Tuesday that she had been raped by a 17-year-old male she knows on Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. within the 102nd Precinct, police said.
She was taken to Brookdale Hospital for evaluation, police said.
Two officers hurt trying to secure man
SUNNYSIDE — An emotionally disturbed person who was armed with a knife was taken into custody by police who were called at 9:44 p.m. Monday to the lobby at 41-41 46th St., police said.
The man was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for evaluation, police said.
Two officers sustained minor injuries when they attempted to climb a fence to secure the rear of the location. Both were removed to Elmhurst Hospital.
Local teens busted, charged with making graffiti
FOREST HILLS — Thanks to a civic-minded resident, 112th Precinct police arrested six teenagers early Sunday morning for defacing storefronts on Austin Street, Capt. Charles Stravalle said.
A Forest Hills resident out walking her dog around 3 a.m. witnessed the six teens scrawling graffiti on roll-down gates of storefronts in the vicinity of Austin Street and 67th Avenue and called police, Stravalle said.
Cops quickly arrived on the scene and shut off the street lights, prompting the suspects to jump into a car, Stravalle said. “They were throwing paint out of the window,” he said.
The teens, five males and one female, were charged with criminal mischief and making graffti, Stravalle said. Police had just completed a neighborhood cleanup that included painting over graffiti the week before, he said.
