Nostrand Houses (Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)
Twenty-year-old Amahal Lynch was arrested yesterday and charged with the Sunday morning murder of a Nostrand Houses resident and her 8-year-old daughter. According to a New York Times report, Lynch is an acquaintance of the victim, Shakeema Elliot, and an employee of the New York City Housing Authority. It’s unclear if he worked in the Sheepshead / Nostrand Houses, but offers found reason to believe the East New York resident is involved in the death by strangulation. When the story was first reported, police said they found the victims in the bathtub surrounded by pills, after being called for a possibly burglary. Police authorities are now saying the bodies may have been moved from another area in the apartment to the tub, and the bathroom made to look like a suicide scene.
According to early reports, an emotionally disturbed person barricaded himself and his parents in an apartment building at 3021 Avenue Z.
The incident occurred some time between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. According to a reader who lives in the building, who provided information to us via Facebook status updates, a mentally unstable man on the fourth floor took his parents hostage. Witnesses, also through Facebook, said the police closed off Avenue Z between Ford Street and Batchelder Street, and there were at least three large police trucks and several other emergency vehicles.
The resident that provided information said police rescued the parents, who went unharmed. She didn’t know about the culprit, who she believes had stopped taking his medication. She also said a similar incident happened in the building four years ago, but it’s unclear if it was the same person.
By 5:30 p.m., police and emergency personnel had left the scene.
This is a breaking report. We will update as additional information becomes available.
At approximately 6 p.m. this evening, emergency services including two fire trucks and paramedics responded to a multiple vehicle accident at the intersection of Batchelder Street and Avenue W. At least one victim was in a stretcher on the ground with a neck brace. It appeared as if three vehicles were involved in the accident including damage to a fourth car that was parked on the corner. The cause of the accident, the number of other victims, and the extent of their injuries are unknown at the time of this writing. Have information on this accident? Post it in the comments below or send an e-mail.
Sheepshead Bay was seeing stars once again this past Tuesday when Al Pacino and John Goodman returned to film a few more shots for their film You Don’t Know Jack on Batchelder Street and Avenue U. I ran out to get a few photos, but didn’t get anything more than a shot of Tony Montana himself walking away from me.
However, our good friends at Fillmore Real Estate headquarters, where the scene was being filmed, sent us a few inside photos of the stars and gave us some backstory about what’s going on there. According to Fillmore broker Howard Witz, the office has been converted into a replica of the law offices and campaign headquarters of Geoffrey Feiger (played by Danny Huston), who represented Kevorkian. Fillmore Real Estate CEO/President John Reinhardt is also making a quick cameo in the film, as an attorney going about his work.
Reinhardt was invited to lunch with the director and stars, a tale recounted on Fillmore’s blog:
On having lunch with the film’s director, Barry Levinson (Rainman, The Natural, Sleepers, Wag The Dog…) and crew, John said: “As lunchtime was approaching, Barry and the crew were asking me for suggestions on where to eat. I let them know of all the great places in the neighborhood: Brennan and Carr, Randazzo’s, and the new pizzeria across the street, Del Corso. ”
Ultimately, he was invited to eat lunch with them. “At first, I was sitting at the table and they all seemed to be a bit stand-offish,” said John Reinhardt. “I’m assuming it was because I was the only person at the table who wasn’t in show business. After about five minutes, though, somebody mentioned the real estate market. Before I knew it, everyone was asking me for tips on home-buying. It was great!”
Witz says that filming will wrap up tomorrow, and we’ve also heard that there are signs around Michael’s Restaurant on Nostrand Avenue and Avenue P indicating a shoot there tomorrow.
Below is a collection of photos from Witz and a few of the outside by me. Don’t forget to check out Fillmore’s blog, which has a ton more photos.
What started out as an informal outdoor meeting on the grounds of the Sheepshead/Nostrand Housing buildings compound has morphed into an annual reunion.
Organizers of the two-day gathering to be held this weekend, James and Stacey Leigh, are the energetic brains behind the barbeque. Anyone who has lived in the housing complex is always welcome and many who have moved out of the area (or even the state) make a trip back just to attend the reunion.
The event is an organized, but informal one held every last weekend in August. Signs and barbeque grills are usually brought out around 12 p.m. on Saturday. Many who live in the complex lend a helping hand, bringing out food and getting things ready for all the out-of-towners.
On both days, everyone parties with a DJ, reminisces, and plays games — especially basketball. By the end of the night on Saturday things turn sober and names from the Memorial Wall are read out loud.
Here are the details for this weekend:
The 11th Annual Sheepshead-Nostrand Houses’ Old-Timer’s Day 2009 Sheepshead-Nostrand Housing Complex
Avenue V and Batchelder Street
Dolgan Park and the “Swing Park”
Saturday & Sunday, August 29 – 30, 2009
from 12 p.m. until the evening, both days
The event is planned rain or shine, although certain activities may change, due to the weather.
Check the official website for contact information and pictures of past events.
According to Community Board 15 chairperson Theresa Scavo, Verizon will begin installing large poles – similar to telephone poles – in front of homes in order to deliver is FiOS fiber-optic service to the area. Scavo notes that once the pole is in the ground they will not be moved. If you see Verizon workers preparing to work in front of your home, and you are not happy with the potential placement of the pole, Scavo advises calling the board immediately – before work begins – at (718) 332-3008.
The streets the company will deploy to are:
- Ave. V from Bragg to Ocean
- Bragg from Ave. X to Ave. T
- On Brigham from Ave. W to Ave. U
- Haring from Ave. Z to Ave. X
- Coyle from Emmons to Shore
- Batchelder from Shore to Voorhies
- Nostrand from Voorhies to Emmons
- Bedford from Ave. Y to Ave. V
- E. 12th from William Court to Guider
- Coyle from Ave. U to Ave. T
- E. 17th from Ave. W to Ave. Y
- E. 18th from Ave. W to Ave. X
- E. 19th from Ave. W. to Ave. Z
- E. 26th from Ave. X to Ave. V
- E. 28th from Ave. X to Ave. T
- E. 29th from Ave. V to Ave. X
- E. 7th from Ave. Y to Shore
- Lancaster from E. 7th to Coney Island Ave.
[where: 11235] [where:Sheepshead Bay]
