By Phil Newman
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Jean Roland St. Surin, 66, of Montreal was taken into custody Aug. 13 at Champlain, N.Y. on Interstate 87. Brown said St. Surin had been using identification stolen from a New York City truck driver.”The defendant ran but he could not hide from the long arm of the law,” Brown said. “Through efforts of local, state, federal and international law enforcement agencies, he was traced to Canada and detained by customs and border protection inspectors when attempting to enter the United States.”Brown said St. Surin, formerly of 196-07 Jamaica Ave. in Jamaica, had been indicted on charges of trying to run down a police officer at 88th Avenue and Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica on July 11, July 15 and July 19, 1984 while driving an unlicensed livery van.Brown said the police officer was forced to jump out of the way to avoid the van.Brown said St. Surin is alleged to have fled in 1984 after posting bail and had lived in Canada and visited Florida on a number of occasions during the years he was a fugitive.St. Surin was arraigned Tuesday before Queens Supreme Court Judge James Griffith on charges of attempted assault and reckless endangerment and was being held without bail until his next court appearance on Oct. 18. Conviction on the charges could result in up to seven years in prison.Brown said St. Surin was using identification stolen from Otis Williams, 60, of Queens, who has sued the city because he has been arrested three times since February 2003 because of confusion resulting from his stolen identity.
