Mayor, NYC Parks, NYCHA to Build New Open Spaces, Playgrounds at NYCHA Housing Developments

By SÍLE MOLONEY

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks), and the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced, on Sept. 14, a pilot program to re-imagine and invest in nearly three acres of NYCHA open space, including playgrounds, at two developments in the Soundview section of The Bronx, three in Queens, and one in Brooklyn. The announcement was held at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new open space at Pomonok Houses in Queens, which has been fully reconstructed under the pilot program and now includes fitness equipment, sensory play equipment, seating, and new landscaping.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD) has launched an affordable housing lottery for units at a 7-story, mixed-use building 2321 Belmont Avenue in the Belmont section of The Bronx, as reported by YIMBY. Designed by Sion Consulting Engineering, the structure yields 42 residential units, and available on NYC Housing Connect, HPD’s online portal, are 13 units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $72,000 to $167,570. Amenities include covered parking with assigned parking spaces and electric car charging stations, bike storage lockers, and common area Wi-Fi, according

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The identity of two gunmen is sought by the NYPD following a “reckless endangerment” incident (shooting) that occurred in Williamsbridge. Police are seeking the public’s help identifying and locating the two people seen in the attached video footage who are sought for questioning in connection to the shooting. It was reported to police that on Sunday, Sept. 25, at around 2.39 p.m. in the vicinity of Holland Avenue and Magenta Street, two unidentified “males” riding a moped, fired multiple shots into Magenta Park. “There were no reported injuries as a result of this incident,” an NYPD spokesperson said.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Two Bronx men, Diante Fernandes and Mark Francis, have been arrested in connection with a series of recent carjackings in The Bronx and Yonkers, New York. Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York shared the announcement on Wednesday, Sept. 28, adding that that the two appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy on Wednesday and were ordered detained in custody. According to the allegations in the complaint, and statements made in court, between Sept. 26 and 27, the defendants, Fernandes and Francis, allegedly carjacked, robbed, and kidnapped multiple victims in The Bronx and Yonkers.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York State Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that it has recovered over $191,000 in unpaid wages for 93 employees working at the Buffalo-based company, Magellan Technology/Demand Vape. DOL’s division of labor standards found the employees had been shorted pay owed to them under the State’s “spread of hours law” for service workers, according to the announcement on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Typically, an underpayment occurs when minimum wage workers work more than 10 hours, and there is a break longer than 4 hours between shifts. Employers are required to pay one additional hour per day at minimum

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson has cited potential concerns envisaged with locating an asylum seeker relief center at Orchard Beach in the Northeast Bronx, such as potential flooding and lack of adequate transportation connectivity. The Adams administration included the center as a target location proposed to house asylum seekers during an announcement made last Thursday, Sept. 22. Other center openings in other locations are also planned. City officials announced last week that humanitarian emergency response and relief centers to support hundreds of asylum seekers arriving in New York City each day from Texas and other border states would be

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Officers from the NYPD’s 49th Precinct are asking for the public’s assistance in locating the three people seen in the attached photos who are sought for questioning in connection to a “reckless endangerment” incident (multiple shooting) that occurred in the confines of the 49th Precinct. It was reported to police that on Monday, Sept. 19, at approximately 11.20 p.m., in front of 2825 Olinville Avenue in the Williamsbridge section of The Bronx, three people were involved in a multiple shooting directed at another group. There were no injuries reported as a result of the incident. “Reckless endangerment” is

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A 44-year-old man has been found deceased in the Norwood section of The Bronx. On Monday, Sept. 26, at around 10.22 p.m., police from the 52nd Precinct responded to a 911 call regarding an unconscious man inside 16 East 208th Street. “Upon arrival, police observed a 44-year-old male who was unconscious and unresponsive,” an NYPD spokesperson said. “EMS responded and pronounced the male deceased at the scene. The medical examiner [is] to determine the cause of death.” The deceased has been identified as Adam Perez of Bainbridge Avenue in the Norwood section of The Bronx. When

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx District Attorney, Darcel D. Clark, announced on Wednesday, Sept. 21, that Jose Gonzalez has been found fit to stand trial for the alleged murder of EMT, Yadira Arroyo. Gonzalez, as reported, had been found unfit for trial on May 26, 2022, to the dismay of Arroyo’s family. In a statement referring to the latest update on the case, Clark said, “When Jose Gonzalez was deemed unfit for trial, we said this was by no means the end of this prosecution. Now, approximately four months later, health professionals at Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center have determined him to be no