Mom Slain at Rapper Shrine (81st Precinct)

By Tim Perone
NY Post 3/31/08

A Brooklyn mother of three, walking by a makeshift memorial for a popular local rapper, was killed last night by a stray bullet fired by a mourner, relatives and officials said.

The woman, identified by family members as Nancy Williams, 27, was pronounced dead at Woodhull Hospital about 40 minutes after the 6 p.m. shooting in a playground area behind her Gates Avenue building in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Police said Williams, who was headed to a grocery store, walked into an area where fans had gathered at a memorial to Leval Lyde, 36 - a hip-hop performer known as Cavlar - who was gunned down in a fight that erupted on his way to meet a music promoter.

Full story here.

******
NYPD Report:

ON SUNDAY 3/30/08 AT APPROXIMATELY 1805 HRS, IN THE REAR OF 730 GATES AVENUE, IN THE CONFINES OF THE 81 PRECINCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO A CALL OF A FEMALE SHOT. UPON ARRIVAL POLICE FOUND A F/B/27 WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE CHEST. THE VICTIM WAS TRANSPORTED TO WOODHULL HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WAS PRONOUNCED AT 1848 HOURS. THERE ARE NO ARRESTS AT THIS TIME, THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

THE D.O.A. HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS:

NANCY WILLIAMS F/B/27
740 GATES AVE. 1D

(Stuyvesant Gardens, a NYCHA development)

Teen hunted in stabbing at Brooklyn high school

By Jonathan Lemire
NY Daily News 3/30/08

Cops are hunting for an 18-year-old student who repeatedly stabbed a classmate inside a Brooklyn high school, police said Saturday.

Kykle Owens, an honor student at Paul Robeson Hight School, remained in critical condition at Kings County Hospital Saturday, a day after he was attacked while walking out of the school's cafeteria.

Owens, 18, was revived by quick-thinking basketball coach Todd Myles before emergency crews could attend to the injured senior, who is nicknamed Pumpkin.

Full story here.

Murder, Nostrand & Ave. D (67th Precinct)

ON 3-29-08 AT APPROX 0430 HOURS IN FRONT OF 1830 NOSTRAND AVE IN THE CONFINES OF THE 67 PCT A M/B/28 WAS SHOT 2X IN THE TORSO BY UNK PERSONS. THE VICTIM WAS TAKEN TO KINGS COUNTY HOSPITAL AND PRONOUNCED DOA AT 0458 HRS. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING. THERE ARE NO ARRESTS AT THIS TIME.

DOA:
ELIJAH JEFFERSON, M/B/28
605 LOUISIANA AVE., APT.14C

-------
Man killed in shooting near Brooklyn councilman's club

BY TANANGACHI MFUNI and JONATHAN LEMIRE
NY Daily News Sunday 3/30/08

A 28-year-old man was shot to death early Saturday after getting into a fight with men who had been partying at a club owned by a city councilman, police and witnesses said.

Elijah Jefferson of Starett City was shot twice in the chest about 4:30 a.m. at Nostrand Ave. and Avenue D, a block from Cafe Omar, police said.

The Caribbean-themed club is in a building owned by Councilman Kendall Stewart (D-Flatbush), according to city property records. The venue was hosting a "Sexy Can I/Bright Colors" party overnight.

Full story here.

Teen and infant MISSING in Crown Heights

THE POLICE ARE ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED MISSING (MOTHER AND DAUGHTER):

KIMBERLY GEORGE F/B/16

KAILY GEORGE F/B/6-MOS

ON 03/26/08 AT APPROXIMATELY 0730 HRS THE MISSING FEMALES WERE LAST SEEN LEAVING THEIR RESIDENT (480 LEFFERTS AVENUE #3G), WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 71 PRECINCT.

THE MISSING FEMALES ARE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

F/B/16

5'6"

135 LBS

BLACK HAIR

BROWN EYES

F/B/6-MOS

18"-LONG (APPROX)

14 LBS.

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT CRIMESTOPPERS AT 1(800)577-TIPS. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.

Stabbing at Paul Robeson High (77th Precinct)

ON FRIDAY 3/28/08 AT APPROX, 1235 HRS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 77 PCT. POLICE RESPONDED TO 150 ALBANY AVE (PAUL ROBESON HS) TO INVESTIGATE A REPORT OF A MALE STABBED. UPON ARRIVAL POLICE DISCOVERED THE VICTIM M/B/18 WITH A STAB WOUND TO THE NECK AND ABDOMEN. VICTIM REMOVED TO KCH IN CRITICAL CONDITION. NO ARREST. INVESTIGATION IS ON GOING.

-----

From NY1:

An 18-year-old high school student is in critical condition after being stabbed multiple times by another student at his Brooklyn high school.

Education officials say the incident happened around 12:45 p.m. today at a stairwell in the basement, next to the gym of Paul Robeson High School in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The two fought in the lower level hallway, before the young man was stabbed, according to police.

The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital in critical condition.

"And the cuts on his neck were looking real bad, there was a lot of blood pouring out, and they had him on an oxygen mask, and everyone's doing CPR on him, so I don't know if he died," said a student.

"Everybody was crying. Everybody was upset this was happening," said student Jelani Hayward.

The school was placed in lockdown from 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., when the students were dismissed one floor at a time, and police opened up the streets around the stories.

"Where were the security guards at the door, when they let somebody in here to come commit this crime?" said a parent. "It's ridiculous, I'm tired of it, and I don't know if my child will ever be back to this school."

Cell phones are banned in city schools. But one father said he rushed to Robeson after his son called him to tell what happened.

Students told NY1 that the building has so many doors that can sneak in cell phones and sometimes even weapons make it inside.

Police will not release the name of the suspect in the stabbing.

The Department of Education said a crisis team was sent to the school to help out kids who were traumatized by the sudden violence and that team will be there again when the school begins on Monday.

This is the second Brooklyn high school lockdown in as many days, after John Dewey High School in Gravesend was closed for two hours yesterday after a teacher reported seeing a student with a weapon.

UPDATE: The Murder of Leval Lyde

More on the killing of Leval Lyde, aka Cavlar.

Photo is from The Kyss Connection.

Click here for Cavlar's MySpace Page

From NY Post:

RAPPER KILLED IN BROOKLYN

By JOHN DOYLE and LARRY CELONA

March 26, 2008 -- Ex-con rapper Cavlar, who had just begun to claw his way to success with his own music and "Step Up Your Game" DVDs featuring big-name stars, was gunned down yesterday on a Brooklyn street as he stepped out of his Jaguar to meet a promoter.

The rapper and father of three, whose real name is Leval Lyde, was hit by a single shot to the chest on Fulton Street at 4:49 a.m. as his cousin watched in horror.

The shooting came after Lyde, 36, argued with the gunman and two of the killer's pals - all of whom fled.

"I saw a lady running [and] came outside and she said, 'They're killing each over there!' " said store owner Amilcar Salvador, 40.

An uncle, Clarence Lamb, was stunned at the "senseless death."

"Young people killing each other . . . is fruitless," he said. "It's crazy, just crazy."

Police were looking into whether the bloodshed might have been rap-related.

Full story here.

Murder on Fulton Street (88th Precinct)

On Tuesday, 03-25-2008 at approximately 1649 hours Police responded to 911 calls for a person shot in front of 907 Fulton Street, in the confines of the 88 Precinct. Upon their arrival Police found a M/B/36 with a gunshot wound to the torso. The victim was removed to Brooklyn Hospital where he was pronounced DOA at 1732. There is no arrest and the investigation is ongoing.

***UPDATE***

DOA: LEVAL LYDE, M/B/36 (FAMILY NOTIFIED)

720 GATES AVE

------------------------

From NY Daily News:

Rapper is killed outside eatery

By KERRY BURKE and ETHAN ROUEN
NY DAILY NEWS Wed. 3/26/08

An aspiring rapper was shot to death as he walked out of a Brooklyn seafood restaurant Tuesday, cops and relatives said.

Leval (Cevlar) Lyde, 36, was leaving Fish & Crustaceans Quality Seafood in Fort Greene with a whiting sandwich in hand about 5 p.m.

As he approached the maroon Jaguar owned by the mother of his child, he was hit with a single shot, witnesses said.

"He fell right in front of me," said Charles Kearny, 48, co-owner of the restaurant, who added that Lyde was a regular customer.

Lyde died at Brooklyn Hospital Center.

WANTED for Murder: Jason Matthias

From the 3/22/08 NY Post NYPD Blotter:

Police are asking for the public's assistance in finding the man pictured above, wanted in connection with a murder in Brownsville.

Jason Matthias, 24, allegedly shot 27-year-old Carl Brown in the head on East 98th Street near Legion Street at 4:39 a.m. on Feb. 16, cops said.

Brown, of Bristol Street, was pronounced dead at the scene.

WANTED for Murder: Daniel Brown

An update in the murder of Robert Morgan of 750 Rockaway Ave., who was shot to death on March 14, 2008 (details here).

Police have released a photo and description of the following suspect:

DANIEL BROWN, M/B/27

2678 LINDEN BLVD, LAST KNOWN ADDRESS (PINK HOUSES)

HE IS DESCRIBED AS BEING 5'6" TALL, APPROX 160 LBS, WITH SHORT BLACK HAIR, BROWN EYES AND CLEAR COMPLEXION.

ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION AS TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF THIS SUSPECT IS ASKED TO CALL THE NYPD'S CRIMESTOPPERS HOTLINE AT 800-577-TIPS. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.

WANTED for Murder: Raheem Edwards

From NY1:

Police were searching Saturday for a Brooklyn murder suspect connected to an elevator shooting.

Raheem Edwards, 26, of Brooklyn is wanted in connection with a deadly shooting on March 6.

Police say Fednard Dickson was found in the elevator of 512 Stone Avenue, with a gunshot wound to the head.

Edwards is described as being 5’6” and 180 pounds, with short black hair, brown eyes and a clear complexion.

******
Additional info from NYPD:

644 SARATOGA AVE IS LAST KNOWN ADDRESS

ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION AS TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF THIS SUSPECT IS ASKED TO CALL THE NYPD'S CRIMESTOPPERS HOTLINE AT 800-577-TIPS. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.

WANTED in Murder Case: Daniel Floyd

An update on the case of Leon Green, who was murdered on Eastern Parkway on March 9, 2008 (details here).

The NYPD has released a photo and description of a suspect:

DANIEL FLOYD, M/B/17

602 MAPLE ST, APT 5 (LAST KNOWN ADDRESS)

HE IS DESCRIBED AS BEING 6'1" TALL, APPROX 180 LBS, WITH SHORT BLACK HAIR, BROWN EYES AND CLEAR COMPLEXION.

ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION AS TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF THIS SUSPECT IS ASKED TO CALL THE NYPD'S CRIMESTOPPERS HOTLINE AT 800-577-TIPS. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.

Rapist CAUGHT

NYPD has announced the arrest of a suspect in the 2 recent rapes in the Van Dyke Houses:

THOMAS BOKER, M/B/29

393 JEROME STREET, APT 6


UPDATE:

Police nab Brooklyn rape suspect

BY DORIAN BLOCK and ALISON GENDAR
NY DAILY NEWS Saturday, 3/22/08

A suspected serial rapist was busted Friday after cops lifted his fingerprints from a windowsill of a Brooklyn housing complex, police said.

Those prints matched Thomas Boker, a 29-year-old with a record of guns and drug sales, police said.

Boker was arrested at a girlfriend's apartment in East New York.

"Finally, justice is going to be done," said the older sister of a 19-year-old woman raped early Thursday morning in a stairwell of the Van Dyke Houses in Brownsville.

Boker's fingerprints were found on a window in a stairwell where the 19-year-old victim said she was attacked.

Police believe Boker not only attacked the teen but raped a 30-year-old woman at knifepoint March 6 in the same Brooklyn complex.

The first victim picked Boker out of a lineup, sources said.

DNA recovered in the first assault also matched DNA evidence taken in a series of 2006 livery cab robberies in which Boker was a suspect.

Police are also investigating whether Boker is the same man who has been stalking and harassing women in the neighborhood over the past month.

While in custody Friday, Boker lost control and started banging his head against the wall, police said. He was taken to the hospital last night.

Full story here.

Double shooting, one dead on Westbury Court (71st Precinct)

ON FRIDAY 3-21-2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 0010 HOURS I/S/O 2100 WESTBURY COURT, CONFINES OF THE 71 PCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO A CALL OF SHOTS FIRED. UPON ARRIVAL, POLICE DISCOVERED TWO (2) MALES WITH GSWs ABOUT THE BODY. THERE ARE NO ARRESTS AT THIS TIME. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

VICTIM # 1 -
M/B/30 - SHOT 1X TO THE HEAD. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO KCH WHERE HE PRONOUNCED DOA AT APPROXIMATELY 0100 HRS. THE IDENTITY OF THE DOA IS PENDING FAMILY NOTIFICATION.

VICTIM # 2 -
M/B/22 - SHOT 1X TO THE CHEST AND 1X TO THE LEG. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO KCH WHERE HE IS IN STABLE CONDITION.

WANTED for rape (73rd Precinct)

NYPD report about today's rape at 414 Sutter Ave. in the Van Dyke Houses

ON THURSDAY 3-20-2008 AT 0015 HRS , POLICE RESPONDED TO A CALL OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE VICINITY OF SACKMAN ST AND SUTTER AVE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 73 PCT. UPON ARRIVAL, POLICE WERE MET BY A F/H/19 WHO STATED THAT SHE WAS EXITING THE ELEVATOR AND WAS ACCOSTED BY A M/B WHO DISPLAYED A KNIFE. THE SUSPECT FORCED THE VICTIM TO THE ROOF OF THE LOCATION AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTED THE VICTIM. THE VICTIM WAS TAKEN TO AND TREATED AT AN AREA HOSPITAL. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

NYPD DETECTIVES ARE SEEKING THE PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING THE INDIVIDUAL DEPICTED IN THE PHOTO, WHO IS WANTED FOR QUESTIONING IN REGARDS TO THE ABOVE INCIDENT:

SUSPECT: M/B DREAD LOCK, PONY TAIL '7" WEARING A GRAY HOODIE, BLACK VEST, BLUE JEANS AND A DARK HAT

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THE IDENTITY OF THIS INDIVIDUAL SHOULD CALL THE NYPD'S CRIME STOPPERS HOTLINE AT (800) 577 - TIPS. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

UPDATE -- REWARD

NYPD IS OFFERING A REWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,000 FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CRIME. CRIME STOPPERS WILL PAY UP TO $2,000 FOR INFORMATION THAT LEADS TO THE ARREST AND INDICTMENT OF THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CRIME.

Another rape in Van Dyke Houses

From WCBS TV― The NYPD is investigating a possible sexual assault at a Brooklyn housing complex. This is the second incident inside the Brownsville complex this month.

Members of the police department are under fire for missing the first attack, despite the more than 200 security cameras stationed around the complex.

The latest attack in the Van Dyke housing complex has people on edge. At 1:30 a.m. Thursday, a woman was sexually assaulted at 414 Sutter Avenue. Her attacker is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, wearing a grey hoodie, blue jeans, dark boots and dark hat. The suspect escaped from the roof of the building.

Earlier this month in the same housing complex, a man was caught on surveillance cameras following a woman off the elevator. The suspect then forced her into a stairwell at knife-point and raped her. Police have released a sketch of the suspect.

Two police officers, who said they patrolled the stairwells after the first attack, were stripped of their guns and badges and face disciplinary action for allegedly lying about looking for the rapist. Cameras showed they did not perform a sweep of the building.

Police do not know if the two incidents are connected, but hope one of the building's more than 200 surveillance cameras will help lead them to identifying a suspect in this second attack.

WANTED for rape (73rd Precinct)

Police are still asking for the public's help in identifying the rapist who assaulted a woman in the Van Dyke Houses on March 6.

In addition to the initial sketch, the NYPD has released surveillance photos and video of the suspect. Anyone with information should contact the NYPD Crimestoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS. All calls are kept strictly confidential.

Safety Alert: Prospect Heights Burglaries

From the Brooklynian.com Prospect Heights Forum:

Sterling 2000: Yesterday afternoon [Thursday 3/13/08] there was an attempted burglary in our building on Sterling Place (btwn. Washington & Underhill). The perps entered via an alley fire escape and broken window security gate, only to be surprised by the owner arriving home and opening the door. The perps fled via said window, fire escape and alley path and the authorities were called.

I felt this worth reporting to the group as there have been other alleyway and fire escape enabled shenanigans lately. Play it smart -- keep your windows closed and yer eyes open.

Dee Dee: Sounds like the same perps that just burglarized an apartment in my building on Park Place between Flatbush and Vanderbilt. They came in through the fire escape on the alley side of the building at about 9am on weekday and made off with a computer and I-Pod. Local detectives said that there have been a rash of these kinds of burglaries in the area. They suspect a group of teenage boys. So, make sure all of your windows are secure and keep your eyes open.

UPDATE on the Murder of Carol Simon-Hayes

Police report another arrest in the murder of Carol Simon-Hayes, who was killed by stray gunfire outside her home on Eastern Parkway in December 2007.

2nd suspect in stray-bullet slaying of nurse arrested at gang funeral

BY ALISON GENDAR and MICHAEL WHITE
NY DAILY NEWS 3/17/08

Detectives have arrested a second shooter in the stray-bullet death of a Brooklyn nurse last year, police sources said.

Humberto Benjamin had eluded capture since 35-year-old Carol Simon was shot down near her Eastern Parkway home on Dec. 15, as her young son waited in the family's SUV to go for a swimming lesson.

But police were waiting for Benjamin last Wednesday after snitches told investigators he would likely show up at a funeral for a gang member in Brooklyn.

"My bullets didn't kill the lady!" Benjamin cried as detectives picked him up at the services, a police source said.

He was charged with murder. A grand jury is set to hear the case in Brooklyn Criminal Court today.

Full story here.

Information on the arrest of another suspect, Darius Dubarry, is here and here.

Crow Hill Community Association Meeting

Tuesday, (3/18/08) at 7:30 PM
Haitian-American Daycare Center
1491 Bedford Ave. (corner of Bedford & St. John's)

Teen Murdered in Crown Heights (77th Precinct)

ON SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 0021 HOURS, IN FRONT OF 1453 PROSPECT PLACE, IN THE CONFINES OF THE 077 PRECINCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO A REPORT OF A MALE SHOT. UPON ARRIVAL THEY FOUND THE VICTIM, A M/B/18 SHOT ONCE TO THE HEAD AND ONCE TO THE TORSO. THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED AT THE SCENE. THERE ARE NO ARRESTS AT THIS TIME, THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

VICTIM:

TYRICK HILL, M/B/18
1453 PROSPECT PLACE, APT 2H

WANTED: Bank Robber Near Navy Yard (88th Precinct)

THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING THE PUBLICS ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING A SUSPECT WANTED FOR two BANK ROBBERIES, ONE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 88 PCT AND ONE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 107 PCT. DETAILS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1) WEDNESDAY 03-12-08, 1251 HRS, CHASE BANK LOCATED AT 210 FLUSHING AVE, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 88 PCT.

2) WEDNESDAY 03-12-08, 1321 HRS, HSBC BANK LOCATED AT 156-02 AGUILAR AVE, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 107 PCT.

IN BOTH INCIDENTS, THE SUSPECT ENTERS THE LOCATION, APPROACHES THE TELLER AND DEMANDS USC. THE SUSPECT THEN FLED THE LOCATIONS.

SUSPECT:

M/W/45-55

6', 200-250 LBS

BEARD AND MUSTACHE

GLASSES

BLACK JACKET, BLACK HAT, WHITE SHIRT AND BLACK SHOES

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO EITHER OF THE ABOVE INCIDENTS IS ASKED TO CALL THE NYPD'S CRIMESTOPPERS HOTLINE AT 800-577-TIPS.

Murder, Christopher Ave. (73rd Precinct)

ON FRIDAY 3-14-08 AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 HRS OFFICERS FROM THE 73 PCT RESPONDED TO CHRISTOPHER AVE, (BETWEEN SUTTER AND BELMONT AVENUES), TO INVESTIGATE SHOTS FIRED. UPON ARRIVAL, RESPONDING OFFICES DISCOVERED THE VICTIM, A M/B/27, WHO HAD BEEN SHOT 1X IN THE TORSO. EMS ALSO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND TRANSPORTED THE VICTIM TO BROOKDALE HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DOA.

THERE ARE NO ARRESTS AND THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

***************************

Brooklyn girl is hit by stray bullet

BY KERRY BURKE, ALISON GENDAR and LEO STANDORA
NY DAILY NEWS 3/15/08

A Brooklyn schoolgirl playing at home was hit by a stray bullet fired nearly two blocks away in a street slaying Friday, police said.

The slug smashed a fifth-floor window in the Langston Hughes apartments in Brownsville, tore through the arm of 9-year-old Briana Sledge and glanced off her ribs as she sat on her bed, they said.

The terrified Public School 284 third-grader was rushed to Brookdale Hospital, where doctors said she was in stable condition and expected to recover fully.

As Briana was rushed to the hospital, Robert Rajid Morgan, 27, lay facedown on a bloody sidewalk at the corner of Christopher and Belmont Aves. Morgan was walking with his brother shortly before 2 p.m. when a gunman came up from behind and started blasting.

Morgan's sister, Ralana Whitfield, 30, said her brother died because of a crime he committed six years ago.

She said he shot a Bloods gang member on Father's Day 2002 in a dispute over a motorbike the gang member had stolen.

"My brother did six years for the shooting and he just came home last week," she said. "I think the guy he shot found out, and came and shot him."

Full story here.

Murder, Jerome Street (75th Precinct)

ON SATURDAY 3-15-2008 AT 0052 HOURS INSIDE OF 916 JEROME ST, CONFINES OF THE 75 PCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO A CALL OF A MALE SHOT. UPON ARRIVAL, POLICE OBSERVED A M/B/42 WITH A GSW TO THE CHEST. EMS RESPONDED AND PRONOUNCED THE VICTIM DOA AT THE SCENE.

DOA’S IDENTIFICATION PENDING FAMILY NOTIFICATION. THERE ARE NO ARRESTS. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

UPDATE:

Brooklyn slay tied to love triangle

By TANANGACHI MFUNI and KERRY BURKE
NY DAILY NEWS 3/15/08

Cops suspect a love triangle turned lethal in Brooklyn early Saturday morning.

A man was shot to death after an argument in an East New York basement apartment involving a woman who lived upstairs, police sources said.

Police sources identified the dead man as Mark Matthews, 42, of Canarsie, who was visiting friends in the two-family home when he got caught up in the deadly dispute.

Matthews was found faceup in the hall entrance by the stairs with a bullet in his chest just before 1 a.m., witnesses and cops said.

Full story here.

Thursday: Gang Awareness Town Hall

Paul Robeson High School Presents

A Gang Awareness Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, March 20, 2008
at 6pm
150 Albany Avenue

Panelists: Ira Weston - Principal
Deanna Rodriguez - Chief of Gang Unit, Kings County DA
Norbert Davidson - Gang Intel, Dept. of Education
PO Lamont Anderson - Community Affairs, NYPD
Hashim Garrett - Wisdom & Understanding

RSVP to :
Ms. Bowser, Parent Coordinator - 718-774-0300 x1502
Ms. Adossa, Brooklyn D.A.'s Office - 718-250-3370

Co-Sponsors:
Kings County DA Charles J. Hynes
Assemblyman Karim Camara
Crown Heights Unites Coaliton

Despite security cameras, cops miss Brooklyn public housing rape

BY ALISON GENDAR
NY DAILY NEWS 3/14/08

A Brooklyn woman was raped for a half-hour in a public housing stairwell bristling with security cameras, and the NYPD is investigating whether cops monitoring the live video somehow missed the attack, police sources told the Daily News.

"Either they saw it and did nothing, which seems hard to believe, even for this unmotivated crew. Or they were busy looking at something else. Or they were asleep, which seems most likely," said a police source familiar with the lapse.

Some 224 cameras cover the Van Dyke Houses in Brownsville, where Thursday's attack took place, feeding live images into 30 television monitors. Each camera image flashes for seven seconds on a monitor before moving to the next one, sources said.

The knife-wielding predator was caught on various cameras following the woman into an elevator, and then forcing her up the stairs, sources said.

Full story here. Police are asking the public for help in finding the rapist; details and sketch are in this earlier post.

Brooklyn boy accidentally shot in head

BY KERRY BURKE, EDGAR SANDOVAL and BILL HUTCHINSON

NY DAILY NEWS 3/14/08

A 15-year-old boy was shot in the head Thursday by a pal horsing around with a pistol he claimed he didn't know was loaded, police and witnesses said.

The alleged gunman then bent over bleeding Marquis (Little Brother) Perez and pleaded, "Brother, wake up! Wake up!" said Victoria Rodriguez 41, in whose Brooklyn apartment the shooting occurred.

Marquis was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he was in critical condition and on life-support equipment Thursday night, a relative said.

Rodriguez said there was no hint of trouble in her Howard Ave. apartment in Ocean Hill, where seven kids, including alleged triggerman Jamal Bethune, 17, and her 3-year-old granddaughter, were hanging out until the gun was fired.

Full story here updates and clarifies the NYPD report in yesterday's post.

13-year-old Shot, Howard Ave. (81st Precinct)

ON 03/13/08 AT APPROXIMATELY 1707 HRS I/S/O 186 HOWARD AVENUE, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 81 PRECINCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO A 911 CALL OF A MALE SHOT. UPON ARRIVAL, RESPONDING OFFICERS DISCOVERED A M/B/13 WITH A GSW TO THE HEAD. EMS ALSO RESPONDED AND TRANSPORTED THE MALE TO KCH IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

****UPDATE 03/14/08 AT 1100 HRS ****

THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL WAS ARRESTED IN REGARDS TO THIS INCIDENT.

ARRESTED:
JAMAR BETHUNE - M/B/18
808 PARK PLACE, APT 2F

CHARGES:
ASSAULT
CPW
ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD

MISSING in Crown Heights (77th Precinct)

THE POLICE ARE ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING THE FOLLOWING MISSING MALE, FROM THE CONFINES OF THE 77 PCT.

ON 03/03/08 AT 0900 HRS, A M/B/23 WAS LAST SEEN LEAVING HIS RESIDENCE, WEARING A WHITE T-SHIRT AND SWEATPANTS (WITH A STRIPE). THE SUSPECT IS DESCRIBED AS A M/B/23, 5'11" AND 220 LBS, WITH BROWN EYES AND BLACK HAIR.

THE MISSING IS DESCRIBED TO BE IN GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION AND IN POOR MEDICAL CONDITION.

MISSING IS IDENTIFIED AS:
ERIC COLLIER M/B/23
839 ST MARKS AVE,

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION CAN CONTACT CRIMESTOPPERS AT 1(800)577-TIPS. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL. A PHOTO IS AVAILABLE AT DCPI.

It's Never Too Late for Justice

By Errol Louis
NY Daily News

The community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where I live, scored an important victory in the battle against violent crime with this week's arrest of Cody Nelson for allegedly murdering an honor student named Benny Lyde in front of Lyde's home in 2005.

It took more than two years of community meetings and a wide-ranging investigation that had cops chasing leads in Missouri and Minnesota - and in the end, the trail led to Nelson, a soldier who was already in jail on assault charges upstate, in Fort Drum.

That should send a message to the murderers and miscreants who think they own the streets: In Central Brooklyn, an organized and united neighborhood is going to find you, fight you and stop you, no matter how long the effort takes.

Full story here.

MURDER - Eastern Parkway (73rd Precinct)

ON SUNDAY 3-9-08 AT 0320 HOURS I/S 1999 EASTERN PKWY, CONFINES OF THE 73 PCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO A CALL OF A MALE SHOT. UPON ARRIVAL, POLICE OBSERVED A M/B/30 UNCONSCIOUS AND UNRESPONSIVE WITH A GSW TO THE HEAD. EMS RESPONDED AND PRONOUNCED THE VICTIM DOA AT 0340 HOURS AT THE SCENE. THERE ARE NO ARRESTS AT THIS TIME. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

***UPDATE ***

FAMILY NOTIFIED.

DOA:

LEON HILL M/B/30
471 GREENE AVE.

Cops nab man in '05 fatal shooting of Long Island University senior

By ERROL LOUIS, ALISON GENDAR and ETHAN ROUEN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

More than two years after honor student Benny Lyde [pictured] was fatally shot outside his parents' Brooklyn home, cops Thursday arrested the man who allegedly pulled the trigger over a beef involving Lyde's friends, police sources said.

Cody Nelson, 24, was on leave from the Army on Sept. 2, 2005, when he shot 20-year-old Lyde, a senior at Long Island University, in the head in Crown Heights, sources said.

Lyde, who was known as "Mr. Benny" to the needy children he taught to read, fell into a coma and died of his wounds three months later.

Full story here.

SAFETY ALERT: Fake Utility Worker in Bed-Stuy (79th Precinct)

DETECTIVES FROM THE 79 PCT. ARE REQUESTING THE PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING THE SUSPECT(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMMISSION OF FIVE GRAND LARCENY.

IN ALL FIVE CASES THE SUSPECT POSES AS A D.E.P. UTILITY WORKER TO GAIN ENTRY TO THE RESIDENCE. ONCE INSIDE THE SUSPECT DISTRACTS THE VICTIM AND REMOVES PERSONAL PROPERTY BEFORE FLEEING THE SCENE.

ALL INCIDENTS OCCURRED IN THE CONFINES OF THE 79 PCT ON THE FOLLOWING DATES AND LOCATIONS

WED. 1/23/08 1000 HRS 283 MONROE ST.

FRI. 2/15/08 1200 HRS 420 A LAFAYETTE AVE

MON. 2/18/08 0930 HRS 321 HALSEY ST

MON. 2/25/08 1130 HRS 398 WILLOUGHBY ST.

MON. 2/25/08 1200 HRS 184 HANCOCK ST

THE SUSPECT IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS

M/B/40-50
5'2"-5'8"
150-200 LBS

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL THE NYPD'S CRIMESTOPPERS HOTLINE AT 1-800-577-TIPS. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.

WANTED for shooting on Nostrand Ave. (79th Precinct)

DETECTIVES ARE REQUESTING THE PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE WITH LOCATING THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL WANTED FOR A SHOOTING:

ON MARCH 19, 2007, AT APPROXIMATELY 2048 HOURS, I/F/O 508 NOSTRAND AVE., IN THE CONFINES OF THE 079 PCT., A M/B FIRED NUMEROUS ROUNDS FROM A FIREARM INTO THE STORE AT LOCATION, STRIKING THE OWNER. THE VICTIM WAS REMOVED TO WOODHULL HOSPITAL IN STABLE CONDITION.

THE SUSPECT IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

M/B
6'04" - 6'06",
240 - 280 LBS.

HE GOES BY THE AKA. "SUGE" OR "SUGAR".

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL CRIMESTOPPERS AT 1-800-577-TIPS. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.

WANTED for rape (73rd Precinct)

DETECTIVES ARE SEEKING THE PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE WITH IDENTIFYING THIS SKETCH OF A MALE WANTED FOR RAPE:

ON 03/06/08, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 73 PRECINCT, THE MALE FOLLOWED A FEMALE INTO A BUILDING, PRODUCED A KNIFE, FORCED HER TO A STAIRWELL, AND THEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER.

THE MALE IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

M/B/20-30
5' 6"
150 LBS.
TAN COMPLEXION
WEARING A LT. GREEN KNIT HAT

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THE IDENTITY OF THIS INDIVIDUAL SHOULD CALL THE NYPD'S CRIMESTOPPERS HOTLINE AT (800) 577 - TIPS. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

MURDER Near Ebbets Field (71st Precinct)

ON 03/07/08 AT 0442 HRS, IN THE VICINITY OF 1675 BEDFORD AVE, IN THE CONFINES OF THE 71 PCT, A M/B/25 WAS SHOT 1X IN THE HEAD. THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DOA (ON SCENE) AT 0454 HRS. THERE ARE NO ARRESTS AND THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

THE DOA IS IDENTIFIED AS:

GERROD WARNER, M/B/24
11 MCKEEVER PL,
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

MURDER, Brownsville Houses (73rd Precinct)

ON THURSDAY, 03-06-2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 1542 HOURS, INSIDE OF 512 STONE AVENUE (MOTHER GASTON BLVD) IN THE CONFINES OF THE 73 PRECINCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO A 911 CALL FOR A PERSON SHOT. UPON THEIR ARRIVAL POLICE FOUND A M/B/36, ON THE 1ST FLOOR, IN AN ELEVATOR, WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD. THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DOA AT THE SCENE. THERE IS NO ARREST AND THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

VICTIM:

FEDNARD DICKSON, M/B/36, of 840 SUTTER AVENUE

*********************

From NY Post:

A paraplegic was murdered execution-style in the elevator of a Brownsville housing project yesterday, police said.

Fednard Dickson, 36, was found slumped in his wheelchair on the first floor of the Brownsville Houses on Mother Gaston Boulevard at 3:30 p.m. with a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Teen killed on Covert Street (83rd Precinct)

ON 03/04/2008 AT APPROX. 2000 HRS, AT 22 COVERT ST BROOKLYN (CONFINES 083 PCT) POLICE RESPONDED AND FOUND A M/B/19 UNCONCIOUS AND UNRESPONSIVE. THE AIDED WAS SHOT 1X IN THE TORSO. EMS RESPONDED AND TRANSPORTED THE AIDED TO WOODHULL HOSPITAL, WERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DOA AT 2115 HRS. INVESTIGATION ONGOING.

Owner of two luxury cars shot down in Crown Heights

BY OREN YANIV and MICHAEL WHITE

NY Daily News, 3/4/08

A Brooklyn man was shot to death Monday just steps from his two ultrapricey cars - the status symbols that may have led to his killing, cops and neighbors said.

Reggie Everett, 29, was well-known in Crown Heights for the two sparkling cars - a new BMW coupe and a Cadillac Escalade - he kept in the driveway of a vacant home, neighbors said.

But his perceived status as a highroller might have drawn his attackers, police sources said.

"Unemployed criminal with some very, very nice cars," was how one police source described Everett. "He tempted his neighbors and paid the price."

Everett was shot once in the 10:15 a.m. dispute with two suspects on St. Marks Place. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died, authorities said.

No arrests were made, cops said.

Full story here.

MURDER on Sterling Place (77th Precinct)

ON TUESDAY 3-4-08 AT APPROX. 1246 HRS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 77 PCT. POLICE RESPONDED TO THE LOBBY OF 1338 STERLING PLC TO INVESTIGATE A CALL OF SHOTS FIRED. UPON ARRIVAL POLICE DISCOVERED THE BODY OF A M/B/31 WITH A GSW TO THE HEAD. VICTIM PRONOUNCED DOA AT THE SCENE. INVESTIGATION ONGOING.

MISSING, May be in Bed-Stuy (81st Precinct)

POLICE ARE ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING ANDRE WILSON, A M/B/42, LAST SEEN AT APPROX 1430 HRS ON 02-28-08 AT 3010 W.33 ST. IN THE CONFINES OF THE 60 PCT.

MISSING IS 5'4", 230 LBS, AND WAS WEARING A BLACK JACKET, BLACK WOOL HAT, A BROWN SHIRT, BROWN PANTS, AND BLACK SNEAKERS. WILSON IS KNOWN TO FREQUENT 690 QUINCY ST. IN THE 81 PCT.

MISSING IS OF GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION, BUT POOR MENTAL CONDITION.

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL CRIMESTOPPERS AT (800) 577-TIPS (8477). ALL CALLS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

MURDER on Saint Marks Ave. (77th Precinct)

**************PRELIMINARY INFORMATION*************

ON MONDAY 3-3-08 AT APPROX. 1015 HRS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE 77 PCT. POLICE RESPONDED TO 1382 ST. MARKS AVE TO INVESTIGATE A REPORT OF SHOTS FIRED. UPON ARRIVAL POLICE DISCOVERED THE BODY OF AN UNIDENTIFIED M/B/20'S LYING ON THE GROUND SUFFERING FROM A GSW. THE VICTIM WAS REMOVED TO AN AREA HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DOA. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ARREST AT THIS TIME AND THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

THE DECEASED HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS REGGIE EVERETT, A M/B/29 OF 1371 ST. MARKS AVENUE.

THE SUSPECTS ARE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS.

SUSPECT #1:

M/B/20'S, APPROXIMATELY 5'0" TALL, 160 LBS WEARING A BLACK HOODED SWEATSHIRT

SUSPECT #2:

M/B/20'S, APPROXIMATELY 175 LBS, WEARING BLUE JEANS, A BLACK KNIT HAT AND A GREEN JACKET

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THIS INCIDENT ARE ASKED TO CALL CRIMESTOPPERS AT 1-800-577-TIPS OR THE 77 PRECINCT DETECTIVE SQUAD AT 718-735-0661.

UPDATE: Murder on Maple Street (71st Precinct)

More information on this homicide:

Arrested: Nagibe Alhaj M/W/35
607 Flatbush Ave., #2B
Charges: Murder 2

The deceased has been identified as:

Bernadette Aikens, F/B/47
440 Rogers Ave., 3rd Fl

********************************

Brooklyn Man Nabbed for Deadly Stab

By Jotham Sederstrom
NY Daily News

A Brooklyn man was arrested in the fatal stabbing of a woman on a street in Prospect Lefferts Gardens Saturday morning, police and witnesses said.

Nagibe Alhaj, 35, was arrested a short distance from where the unidentified victim was found on Maple St., police said.

She was dead on arrival at Kings County Hospital after the 10:35 a.m. attack.

Two women identifying themselves as the victim's sisters said she was the mother of four children, and a hardworking immigrant who came to New York seeking success.

The victim was stabbed repeatedly in the neck and head - and was covered in blood and barely able to speak when a local man came to her aid.

"It was tragic," said Rodney Parker, 48, who tried to help her when she collapsed near his property. "All she could say was, 'Help, help.'"

Full story here.

Safety Tip: Late Night Travel in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill (88th Precinct)

From a recent Brooklynian.com exchange:

GUEST: How safe is it to walk from the Dekalb subway to the Clermont Avenue area near the BQE in the late PM and very early AM (1-3 AM) hours for women in their 20's? And are there cabs available outside the subway at those hours?

URBAN COWGIRL: I am a single girl in my middish-twenties and I live in just the area you're referencing. It is somewhat dangerous to walk home late in any neighborhood but, after living in other neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, I've found this one to be the most disconcerting. Aside from taking a cab home from wherever it is I've been, I've found the least dangerous route home to be the F train to Jay street and then the B54 up Myrtle. The Jay Street area is well lit and usually somewhat crowded and the B54 runs often. Otherwise, if you DO decide to walk home from the train, choose one of the brighter streets (like Clinton Ave and unlike Waverly or Vanderbilt). Do not listen to your ipod or talk on the cell phone. As I say, walk "with purpose". It is very unlikely that you will find a cab, however the myrtle avenue car service is very quick and inexpensive.

I know I sound paranoid, but I had my blackberry stolen and was knocked around a bit at 10 pm one night after coming home from a business trip. I had simply taken it from my pocket to check the time. I love this neighborhood and I do believe that the good outweighs the bad. Just stay alert.

DRKMAN: Using the Jay Street stop on the F train and then catching the B54 is the best route to go. If you have to utilize the DeKalb Avenue stop you can usually catch a cab on either Flatbush or Fulton by waving one down any time of the night. Walking late at night is not overly dangerous but you will have to be alert and I would not walk the same route on a consistent basis.

MURDER on Maple Street (71st Precinct)

ON 03/01/08 AT 1037 HRS, IN FRONT OF 66 MAPLE STREET, IN THE CONFINES OF THE 71 PCT, A F/B WAS DISCOVERED WITH MULTIPLE STAB WOUNDS TO THE NECK AND HEAD AREA. THE VICTIM WAS REMOVED TO KINGS COUNTY HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DOA. A M/W/35 SUSPECT WAS ARRESTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE LOCATION. INVESTIGATION ONGOING.

THE NAME OF THE DOA IS PENDING FAMILY NOTIFICATION.

ARRESTED : NAGIBE ALHAJ M/W/35
607 FLATBUSH AVE, APT #2B

CHARGES : PENDING