Two shot
Two young men were hospitalized following a shooting near the corner of East 96th Street and Avenue J Monday, police said.
Officials said that the victims were near the corner at 9 p.m. on January 11 when the unidentified gunman opened fire.
Both victims suffered minor injuries, police said.
The gunman remained at large as this paper went to press.
Anyone with information regarding this incident to come forward.
Calls can be made to the NYPD CrimeStoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Cops nab garbage bagman
Talk about a repeat offense!
Police have arrested an alleged ski-mask sporting gunman allegedly responsible for robbing a local Gulf gas station last January — a hold-up that was hauntingly similar to a heist that took place at the exact same place this past New Year’s Eve.
Kings County prosecutors allege that Damien Benson, 23, entered the Gulf station at 10804 Flatlands Avenue at 10:35 p.m. on January 7, 2009 and pulled a gun on a worker, demanding money from the cash register.
Benson then took the cash, putting it in a garbage bag before running off, police alleged.
After a prolonged investigation, detectives apprehended Benson this week, charging him with robbery, menacing and criminal possession of stolen property.
Yet the arrest comes on the heels of an apparent copycat crime.
Police said that on 11:30 p.m. on December 31 — just a half hour before the ball fell in Times Square — two men in ski-masks barreled into the same Gulf station. In a repeat performance, the thief pulled a gun and ordered a worker to empty the register.
The suspects took the money — upwards of $1500 according to some estimates — and fled, but not before they secured the cash in a garbage bag, officials said.
As of this writing it was unclear if the December 31 robbery has been connected to Benson.
Pointed discussion
Two teenagers have been implicated in a robbery that took place this past December.
Police alleged that 17-year-old Mario Steele and a 15-year-old accomplice put a knife to the throat of another young man near the corner of Remsen Avenue and Avenue K at 7 p.m. on December 9.
Several other teens, who remained at large as this paper went to press, joined in as the two suspects allegedly went through the victim’s pockets, taking a cell phone and iPod.
Cops charged Steele with robbery in the first degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree, menacing and criminal possession of stolen property.
Gun goons busted
Last week was a bad one for Shoyn Johnson and Nigel DaSilva. Not only were they busted for allegedly having an illegal firearm in their car, but that arrest helped police connect them to a robbery on January 2.
Police said that Johnson, 20, and DaSilva, 21, were driving past the corner of Avenue H and East 53rd Street in Flatlands last week when they were pulled over for a traffic infraction.
The cop who pulled them over looked inside the cabin and saw a loaded .22 caliber pistol. Further inspection of the car revealed a small quantity of marijuana as well, police alleged.
Police Officer Steven Yatchenya took both men into custody on drug and weapon charges, officials said.
A short time later, the two were connected to a January 2 robbery in Mill Basin.
Officials allege that the two men held up a third male on East 56th Street between Avenues L and M.
The victim told police that he was walking down the street at 5:30 p.m. when the two suspects allegedly stopped him. DaSilva allegedly put a small caliber gun — possibly the pistol the two were arrested with — to his head.
“Just give me your money, all I want is your money,” DaSilva screamed. Johnson blocked the victim’s path, preventing his escape, officials alleged.
The two men grabbed a small amount of money and two gift cards and ran off, but soon returned and threw the gift cards back at the victim, police alleged.
“Just the cash,” DaSilva said.
Cops connected the two men to the hold-up over the weekend, charging them with robbery, grand larceny, menacing and criminal possession of stolen property.
Gunning for iPods
A crew of gun-toting thugs forced a young man to hand over his cell phone and iPod during a recent holdup.
The victim told police that he and a friend were at the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U at 3:30 p.m. December 27 when the three suspects began harassing them.
The victims walked off, but were followed for several blocks before the thieves stopped them and demanded their property.
When the victim said no, one of the alleged thieves, later identified as 20-year-old Khiry Jackson, turned to his partner and said “Give me the gun.”
One of the other suspects handed him what appeared to be a pistol, police said.
“Now what?” Jackson allegedly asked before he and his accomplices swiped the victim’s property and ran off.
Cops from the 63rd Precinct caught up with Jackson this week, charging him with robbery, grand larceny, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon.
His accomplices remained at large as this paper went to press.
Flatlands attack
An 18-year-old woman has been implicated in a summertime attack on Flatlands Avenue.
Police alleged that Krystal James and an unidentified other jumped a young male near East 40th Street back on June 21.
The victim said that he was walking past the corner when the duo allegedly grabbed the victim.
Two two started pushing and punching the victim before one of them allegedly jammed a knife into the man’s back, leaving him with a deep wound that needed eight stitches to heal.
After a prolonged investigation, cops from the 63rd Precinct arrested James, charging her with assault in the second degree, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon.
Her accomplice was still at large.
Shot in Breukelen Houses
A man was shot in the leg during a skirmish outside of an address at the Breukelen Houses.
Cops said that they were called to a building on East 103rd Street at 11:20 p.m. on December 27 when an unidentified man pulled a gun and opened fire.
The victim was taken to Brookdale Hospital where he was listed in stable condition after treatment, officials said.
The gunman was still at large as this paper went to press.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to come forward.
Calls can be made to the NYPD CrimeStoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
