Inquiring Photographer: Crime in the Bronx

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers about the latest NYPD statistics that show overall crime is down, but homicides, shootings and rapes are all up substantially. I think it’s worse than ever. I’m going to be honest with you, I was telling people it seems like we’re going back to the ‘90s a little bit, when something was always happening in every neighborhood. It wasn’t just pinpointed in one area, it’s just everywhere now. They need to have more cops patrolling on foot, not driving by. They need to walk through neighborhoods that they know violence is happening and drugs being

By SOPHIA EBANKS

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that 12 members of the Trinitarios gang have been indicted in the brutal killing of 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz that occurred last month outside a bodega in Belmont. “We will not tolerate violence, especially by gangs, on our streets,” said Clark, flanked by prosecutors and NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill. “This indictment is an early step in the criminal justice process so I ask the community to be patient as the case takes its course.” Clark stated that all 12 men, ranging in ages 18 to 29, have been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree

Crime File: City Touts Low Crime Numbers

By MARTIKA ORNELLA

City Touts Low Crime Stats Overall crime is at record lows, according to newly released stats by the NYPD. Speaking to a room of reporters in the 40th Precinct on July 10, Mayor Bill de Blasio said total crime in the city is down 1.8 percent for the year to date compared to last year’s numbers. However, not all crime is down. Rape has gone up over 33 percent this year compared to the first six months of 2017, and shooting deaths have also risen. In the Bronx, fatal shootings are on the rise, with 12 more this year than

Boy, 14, Charged With Attempted Rape at Bronx Park

By DAVID CRUZ

Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy wanted in connection to the attempted rape of a woman jogging inside Bronx River Forest Park. The boy, whose name was not released to the public, was arrested in his home by officers at the 48th Precinct. The crime happened within the borders of the 52nd Precinct. The 35-year-old female victim was jogging in the park around 7:50 a.m. when she was ambushed from behind by the suspect, who attempted to pull her backwards, police say. The victim fought him off and ran deeper into the park, escaping the suspect. She came across him

“Junior’s Law” Orders Bodegas to Keep Minors Safe

By SOPHIA EBANKS

Following the brutal murder of 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz outside a bodega in Belmont, two Bronx lawmakers look to make sure small businesses step it up to protect young children in the community. State Senator Luis Sepulveda and Assemblyman Victor Pichardo announced the “Safe Havens for Endangered Children” law, nicknamed “Junior’s Law,” alongside community advocates, religious leaders, and some of Junior’s family members outside of the bodega where Junior sought refuge. The proposed law would require small businesses to provide refuge and call police if a minor in danger were to seek their help. Another measure of the bill will

Attempted Rapist on the Run in the Bronx

By MARTIKA ORNELLA

Police need help finding a young Hispanic male (video above) wanted for an attempted rape that occurred on Monday morning in Bronx River Forest Park. The 35-year-old female victim was jogging in the park around 7:50 a.m. when she was ambushed from behind by the suspect, who attempted to pull her backwards, police say. The victim fought him off and ran deeper into the park, escaping the suspect. She came across him again, took a photo of him with her phone, then fled the park. She was treated for minor injuries by EMS on the scene. The July 9

Street Renamed for NYPD Det. Miosotis Familia

By JOSE A. GIRALT

Top city officials were once again in the Bronx in the span of three weeks to rename a street, this time in honor fallen NYPD Det. Miosotis Familia who was shot to death by an assailant with an apparent mental illness. Familia, 48, who was posthumously promoted to detective, was remembered with a street sign on Ryer Avenue and East 181st Street, in front of the 46th Precinct, where she was stationed. Familia was killed while completing an administrative report inside a mobile command post truck on July 5, 2017. This was the second street renaming in recent weeks for a

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Excelsior Scholarship Applications for the Excelsior Scholarship are now open for new applicants pursuing a college degree at city- or state-funded colleges/universities for the 2018-19 academic year. Eligible candidates must be New York State residents, take 30 credits per year (including summer and winter sessions), a family whose annual household income is below $110,000, and be on track to graduate on time with an associate’s degree in two years or a bachelor’s degree in four years. Applications will be accepted through July 23. For more information, and to apply, go to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/excelsior/. Bird Walks Free bird walk tours with guides

In the aftermath of the street murder of 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, the U.S. Attorney’s Office should once again take a hard look at the gang responsible for his murder, the deadly Trinitarios gang. It has been done before, with help from RICO. And it can be done again. An investigation under RICO, acronym for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, certainly fits well for the Trinitarios. The machete-wielding group, with roots in the Bronx, has engaged in racketeering, murder, attempted murder, illegal gun carrying, and drug dealing, according to an indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2013. The