Quantcast

Police Blotter: Phony firefighter faces trial for auto theft charge in Wis.

By The TimesLedger

WAUKESHA, WIS. — The man convicted of ripping off a Whitestone woman while posing as a firefighter after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will be taken to Wisconsin to face trial for auto theft there, prosecutors said.

Jerome Brandl, 35, will stand trial on charges of stealing a Mercedes from a Wisconsin woman he had befriended, according prosecutors at the Waukesha County District Attorney’s office.

As part of a plea deal, Brandl was sentenced to one to three years in prison for scheming to defraud and attempted criminal possession of stolen property in the Whitestone case.

Brandl, a man who has used 22 aliases and has arrest histories in more than five states, came to New York after Sept. 11 and pretended to be a firefighter from Wisconsin, prosecutors said.

Brandl met a Whitestone woman at a Mets game and began dating her. A week later, he ran away with more than $500 she had loaned him and $880 he had stolen from her bank account, according to the woman.

Brandl faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of stealing the car.

Gunman robs Flushing bank, flees with cash

FLUSHING – A man entered the Flushing Savings Bank at 144-51 Northern Blvd., Dec. 30, pointed a gun and demanded money from a teller, police said.

The unidentified suspect fled the scene with an unknown amount of money, police said.

There have been no arrests made and the investigation continues.

Flushing woman says acquaintance assaulted her

FLUSHING – Police said a 21-year-old woman was sexually assaulted Dec. 30, at 9:30 p.m. by a 24-year-old man with whom she was acquainted.

The victim was taken to an area hospital and was reported in stable condition, police said.

The investigation was ongoing and no arrests had been made.

Woman claims harrassment by four men in Bay Terrace

BAY TERRACE – Police said a woman reported being harrassed by four men who made anti-Asian remarks Friday night at 201-10 Cross Island Parkway.

Infant found unconscious at home, dies of unknown causes

SPRINGFIELD GARDENS – Police said they discovered the unconscious body of a 3-month-old baby at his residence at 184-40 Edgewood Ave. about 12:45 p.m. Tuesday.

The baby was taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival, police said.

Cops continue to investigate and have not made any arrests or determined the cause of death.

Inmate indicted for 1992 murder another man was convicted of

CORONA – Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said an imprisoned inmate has been indicted on murder charges for a 1992 fatal shooting for which another man had been convicted and sent to prison.

Brown said Lazaro Burt was wrongly convicted in the Aug. 20, 1992 fatal shooting of Wilfredo Cesaero on the corner of 105th Street and Northern Boulevard in East Elmhurst. The district attorney said an eyewitness to the crime came forward who had not previously testified to clear Burt of the crime.

The defendant, Jarrett Smith, 38, formerly of 100-09 32nd Ave. in East Elmhurst, has been in prisons serving a 34-to-40 year sentence for two 1999 robbery and attempted murder charges in Manhattan, the district attorney said. Smith faces 25 years in prison if convicted of second-degree murder charges, Brown said.

Man suffers head wound after assault at restaurant

RAVENSWOOD – A 25-year-old man was found bleeding from the head after a dispute at a White Castle restaurant at 31st Drive and 21st Street Jan. 1, police said.

Charles Paulino was taken to Elmhurst General Hospital after he and four friends got into an argument with an unknown number of men, who assaulted them with unknown objects, police said. Cops said Paulino was in stable condition. There have been no arrests made and the investigation is ongoing.

Man robs Forest Hills bank, flees with unknown amount

FOREST HILLS – An unidentified man robbed the Chemical Bank at 71-04 Woodhaven Blvd. Monday and fled with an unknown amount of money, police said. There were no arrests made and the investigation is ongoing, cops said.

Police stop man from jumping off Triborough Bridge

ASTORIA – Police said they stopped a man from jumping off the Triborough Bridge Sunday morning, after they saw an abandoned vehicle parked in the road. Cops said they climbed up to the unidentified man and brought him down. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

Man stabbed several times in Jamaica Hills attack

JAMAICA HILLS – An unidentified 30-year-old man was stabbed numerous times in the upper torso, arms and neck by three unidentified men at the corner of 171st Street and Jamaica Avenue Tuesday morning, police said.

The perpetrators fled in a gray or blue colored van, cops said.

The victim was taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital where he was listed in critical condition, police said. Cops said there have been no arrests made and the investigation is ongoing.

Rapper 50 Cent, 2 others arrested on weapons charges

MANHATTAN – Three Jamaica men, including up-and-coming rapper 50 Cent, were arrested last week on weapons charges after they were stopped for a traffic infraction at West 34th Street and 11th Avenue in Manhattan, police said.

The rapper, Curtis Jackson, 27, of 140-52 161st St., and four others were traveling in a dark SUV when they were stopped at 1:50 a.m. Dec. 31, police said. Officers allegedly saw a loaded .25 caliber handgun on the floor by the front passenger seat, and upon searching the car, found a .45 caliber handgun, also loaded, and four bullet-proof vests, police said.

All five were charged with two counts of weapons possession, police said. Aside from Jackson, the other men were identified as Christopher Lloyd, 20, of 137-36 159th St. and Jean Bernard, of 140-16 159th St., both of Jamaica, Eliezer Cortes, of Brooklyn, and Timothy Bonaparte of Connecticut, police said.

Richmond Hill man arrested for sexually assaulting wife

RICHMOND HILL – A woman was sexually assaulted by her husband Dec. 29, when he came to pick up their 1-year-old daughter from her apartment, police said. Cops said the 56-year-old man from Richmond Hill then tied his wife up and left her and the child in the apartment.

The pair was then taken to Elmhurst General Hospital, treated and released, police said.

The following day, police said they found the husband in his Rego Park apartment with lacerations to his wrists.

He was expected to recover and has since been charged with rape, sodomy, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.

Neither the address nor the name of the victim was released because of the nature of the crime.

Richmond Hill man dies of gunshot wound to head

RICHMOND HILL – Police said they discovered the body of David Montes, 19, of 127-16 102 Ave. late on Dec. 30, at 118-22 Atlantic Ave. shot in the head. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital where he died early the next day at 2:35 a.m., police said. The investigation is ongoing.

Man robs Forest Hills bank, flees with unknown amount

FOREST HILLS – An unidentified man robbed the Chemical Bank at 71-04 Woodhaven Blvd. Monday and fled with an unknown amount of money, police said. There were no arrests made and the investigation is ongoing, cops said.