Torres: Scammer Targets Guzman-Feliz Family

By JOSEPH KONIG

The mother of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz and City Councilman Ritchie Torres announced that a cease and desist letter from the state has been sent to a known con-artist who posed as a government official in an attempt to defraud Junior’s family. The subject of the cease and desist letter, Dr. R.A. Gregg, is a 38-year-old Staten Island native with a track record of scams stretching back over a decade. According to Torres, Gregg approached Feliz in August and convinced her to sign a letter giving him power to raise funds on behalf of the family in the aftermath of her

With an Uptick in Homeless, Is Anyone Paying Attention

By JONATHAN CUSTODIO

With a cigarette hedged between his fingers, the plainly-clothed man spoke of hardship. The man, whose name is being withheld by the Norwood News out of concern over any reprisals, is a resident at the recently opened men’s only homeless shelter at 3600 Jerome Ave., in front of Van Cortlandt Park. The 200-bed shelter, which opened this past summer, houses the homeless who are mentally ill. A curfew is set at 10 p.m. and only clients who work late nights are allowed to skip it. “The shelter’s not ready,” said the inside source. “Where is the security? There’s no maintenance

By DAVID CRUZ

Cops have released video of a suspect wanted for allegedly touching a 12-year-old girl after taking her pictures and grabbing her backside. The incident happened Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. in the area of Jerome Avenue and West 193rd Street in Fordham, cops said. After the suspect grabbed her he quickly ran off on Jerome Avenue. He was captured on surveillance video. The suspect is described as light-skinned, standing at 5′ 5″ and weighing around 160 pounds with dark hair and brown eyes. He was spotted wearing a white T-shirt, black pants and black sneakers. Anyone with information is asked

By RACHEL MILLER-BRADSHAW

The bus was filled with anxious Fordham Hill Owners Corporation (FHOC) shareholders on the way to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) meeting set to take place that morning on Sept. 19, 2017. Empowering conversations on what the corporation could do to advocate for improvements to uplift University Heights was the discussion during the ride. Fordham Hill’s Community Engagement Committee (CEC) had to quickly galvanize and coordinate their shareholder community after learning that oil giant BP resubmitted an application to build a gas station at 205 W. Fordham Rd. In addition to getting shareholders to send in emails before

Editor’s Pick Weekend Walks in Norwood East 204th Street and Bainbridge Avenue Merchants Association presents two free Weekend Walks, featuring family friendly activities.from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. along East 204th Street between Bainbridge and Decatur avenues. Sept. 29 events include Youth Expo “Anti Bullying & Literacy Programs” from noon to 4 p.m., and Oct. 6 events include Octoberfest “Food, Wine & Beer Festival” from 3 to 7 p.m. Streets will be closed to traffic. For more information, call (917) 640-1003. Onstage Lehman College for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd., W., presents Latin artist Olga Tañón, Sept. 29

Bronx Gang Squad Identifies 12 Gangs Within 52nd Precinct

By DAVID CRUZ

When it comes to tracking gang activity, the Bronx Gang Squad on it. All 22 of members. It’s a small number, putting two detectives per precinct, but keeping them busy. And within the 52nd Precinct, roughly a dozen gangs have been identified within the northwest Bronx precinct. And their makeup varies. “You have Hispanic gangs ranging from the Latin Kings to the Trinitarios, which are Dominican. We used to have DDP’s, they seem to fallen out of favor with the Dominican gangs. You also have some Mexican gangs,” said gang squad detective James Shanahan. Shanahan appeared at the latest 52nd

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By JOSEPH KONIG

North Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH) will “absolutely” stay open for the foreseeable future, New York Health + Hospital President Dr. Mitchell Katz said following longstanding rumors that the Norwood hospital will eventually close. In fact, Katz says, services will expand. “If it’s going to be closed, it should be closed. If it’s going to be open, it should be open,” Katz, appearing at a “Newsmakers Q&A” at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Sept. 27, said. “So now I’ve looked at it and we’re going to expand services to the North Central Bronx” New York City Health + Hospitals,

College Fair SUNY Bronx Educational Opportunity Center, 1666 Bathgate Ave., hosts a free college fair on Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can speak with college reps and learn about scholarships, financial aid and admission requirements. For more information, call (718) 530-7017. Grant Campaign NYC Service and Citizens Committee for New York City launched the 2019 “Love Your Block” grant campaign to support communities making local change in transforming public spaces. Resident-led volunteer groups should submit project proposals that address community concerns and highlight how the project will transform public spaces. Twenty-five community group winners will receive

A Rapidly Rising Company Settles in Norwood

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS

After 35 years working as a taxi driver, Mario Sena started his own driving company. But he never dreamed of how far it would go. Taking his understanding of the vehicle-for-hire business to work for him, Sena and his wife, Olga, operated a Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) service from a makeshift office in their apartment in Pelham Bay. In 2012, he only had three customers and one driver, Sena himself. Now, Agape Luxury, Corp. books an average of 5,000 trips per day. Last year, Agape drove over one million patients to and from medical appointments, and in the last three