Westchester Square News: Blood Pool is Bad for Biz

Westchester Square News: Blood Pool is Bad for Biz: Blood Pool is Bad for Biz Three Wounded as Gunfire Erupts Along Busy Shopping Strip (Photo by David Greene) By David Green...

Westchester Square News: Blood Pool is Bad for Biz

Westchester Square News: Blood Pool is Bad for Biz: Blood Pool is Bad for Biz Three Wounded as Gunfire Erupts Along Busy Shopping Strip (Photo by David Greene) By David Green...

Blood Pool is Bad for Biz

Blood Pool is Bad for Biz

Three Wounded as Gunfire Erupts Along Busy Shopping Strip

(Photo by David Greene)

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 24- Dozens of residents and shoppers walking along Morris Park Avenue had to duck for cover as gunfire erupted and three people were wounded.

Police were called to Morris Park Avenue at Victor Street at just before 3 p.m., on February 19. EMS transported two teens and a 79-year-old woman who cops say was an innocent bystander.

Sources said an 18-year-old male was shot in the arm, a 19-year old-male was shot in the leg and the unidentified senior took a stray bullet to her hand. All three were removed to Jacobi Hospital and expected to recover.

One local resident stated, "I understand it was a dispute involving two groups of young men and someone just started shooting."

As police shutdown the entire street with crime scene tape, a pool of blood could be seen outside of a dollar discount store where the elderly woman was shot as she exited the store.

A baseball bat was left on the ground outside a hardware store and several shell casings littered the sidewalk outside of a multi-service agency.

Police would quickly announce the arrest of 18-year-old Christopher Lopez, who was picked-up on Morris Park Avenue on Friday morning.

Lopez was charged with three counts of attempted murder, felony assault, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police now say that the two teen victims were the intended targets of Lopez who is said to be a member of a rival gang. Lopez has eight previous arrests.

One business owner of a local video store claims he lost $200 in business when police refused to let him meet customers on the street. The owner explained, "I cooperated as much as possible. They wanted me to close the store I had no problem with that."

The owner continued, "I told them (the police) that my customers could call me and I'd come out and give them their movie... and they wouldn't let me do that. They didn't care."

Meanwhile, local law makers have introduced new gun legislation titled, "Luisito's Law," that calls for a tougher minimum sentence for anyone who shoots a child under the age of ten or fires a weapon near a park or a school.

The legislation is named after Luis Oyola, Jr., now 3, who was wounded in the arm inside Vidalia Park last summer. 

Westchester Square News: Gang banger convicted in beat down

Westchester Square News: Gang banger convicted in beat down: Gang banger convicted in beat down BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 21-  District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced the conviction o...

Gang banger convicted in beat down

Gang banger convicted in beat down

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 21- District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced the conviction of Idelfonso Mendez, a reputed leader of the Latin Kings Goonies street gang, for his role in a gang assault which occurred on October 3, 2010.

Mendez, 26, of East 197th Street, the Bronx, pled guilty to one count of gang assault in the first degree, a Class B felony offense.

The plea was entered before Acting State Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett who set sentencing for March 31, 2014 in Part 60. Under the plea agreement Mendez will be sentenced to a term of 14 years imprisonment followed by post release supervision for five years. Mendez also waived his right to appeal the conviction.

Mendez admitted that he “acted-in-concert with others with intent to cause serious physical injury to Victor Pellot, and being aided by two or more other persons actually present, did cause serious physical injury to Victor Pellot.” The assault occurred in a basement apartment at 1910 Osbourne Place where the gang members congregated.

Six other defendants were previously convicted in connection with this incident which involved three victims at two separate locations. The case against a seventh defendant, Luis Garcia, is still pending.

David Rivera, 24, of Sedgwick Avenue, pled guilty to one count of burglary in the first degree, a Class B felony offense, for his role in the gang related incident. Rivera admitted that he, acting in concert with other gang members, entered the home of two of the victims, displayed what appeared to be a gun, and took cash, credit cards, and personal property, including a television. Rivera also pled guilty to one count of robbery in the third degree, a Class D felony offense, stemming from an unrelated crime. Rivera was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Nelson Falu, 20, of Hennessey Place, pled guilty to one count of robbery in the first degree, a Class B felony offense, for his involvement in the October 3rd incident during which he admitted stealing personal property after threatening one of the victims with a baseball bat. Falu was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Elmer Confresi, 26, of Loring Place, pled guilty to one count of attempted gang assault in the first degree, a Class C felony offense. Confresi admitted that he acted-in-concert with the others to cause serious physical injury to one of the victims. Confresi was sentenced to four years in prison.

Jose Dominguez, 26, of Loring Place pled guilty to one count of attempted assault in the first degree and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

Ruddy Vargas, 26, of Colden Avenue, pled guilty to one count of robbery in the third degree and was sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison.

In urging the court to accept the plea agreements in each case, Senior Trial Assistant District Attorney Theresa Gottlieb told the court the pleas were offered after lengthy consultation with the victims who wished to avoid having to testify, which might have had the effect of victimizing them again. ADA Gottlieb told the court that the People believed that the pleas served the interest of justice from society’s perspective as well as that of the victims.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Assistant District Attorney Theresa Gottlieb.

Westchester Square News: Mumps Outbreak at Fordham

Westchester Square News: Mumps Outbreak at Fordham: Mumps Outbreak at Fordham BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 20- Fordham University has had what appears to be an outbreak of mumps at the...

Mumps Outbreak at Fordham

Mumps Outbreak at Fordham

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 20- Fordham University has had what appears to be an outbreak of mumps at the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. 

The University has had 10 cases since January, nine of which were in the last three days: this total includes two new cases reported this morning (the single case in January was never confirmed as mumps). Fordham does not yet have laboratory confirmation that the illness is mumps, but that is the most likely diagnosis.

All the students with suspected mumps infections have either returned home or have been isolated from other residents during the infectious phase of the illness. Typically mumps patients are contagious for two days prior to the outbreak of symptoms and five days after.

All Fordham students are required to have full vaccinations before attending the University, including the vaccination for mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR). All of the students who were tentatively diagnosed with mumps had been vaccinated. Vaccinations do not offer 100 percent protection, but, vaccination is still strongly recommended.

Mumps in college-age men and women usually runs its course without any lasting effects. Nonetheless, the University is trying to see what connection there might be among the affected students while stepping up the frequency and intensity of cleanings in communal bathrooms. The student health staff has been in touch with the Department of Health, and we are following best practices in treatment (mostly palliative) and containment.