SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

Police officers flooded Sheepshead Bay’s commercial corridors on Sunday, going door-to-door to inform business owners of a murderer believed to be targeting convenience stores in a bloody spree that has already left two dead.

The man they’re looking for, pictured above, is described as a Hispanic male in his 20s, 5-foot-9 and with a medium build.

The suspect’s most recent alleged victim is Isaac Kadare, found brutally killed in his Bensonhurst 99-cent store on August 2. The discovery of Kadare’s body was first reported by Bensonhurst Bean. Media reports later confirmed that two customers found Kadare on the floor of the store at approximately 8:45 p.m., and that Kadare had been stabbed in the throat and shot in the head.

Over the weekend, NYPD ballistics teams linked Kadare’s murder with the July 6 murder of Mohammed Gebeli in his Bay Ridge clothing store, Valentino Fashion. Both men were shot in the head in their shops with what’s believed to be the same .22 caliber gun.

According to the New York Post, police sources are exploring the possibility that the suspect is a serial killer, targeting businesses with the numbers 1, 7 and 8 in their street addresses – Kadare’s store was located at 1877 86th Street, while Gebeli’s was at 7718 5th Avenue. However, they acknowledge that the addresses could be simply be a coincidence, and are looking at other motivations, such as ethnic hatred.

Police are offering a $12,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect. Additionally, Senator Marty Golden is offering $5,000 and Councilman David Greenfield, along with the Sephardic Community Federation, are offering up another $5,000.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. All callers to Crime Stoppers remain anonymous. Callers should use the reference number BK-2303 when calling. Crime Stoppers can be reached at 1-800-577-TIPS, via the website, or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577.

The NYPD has issued the following call for information:

The New York City Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the following individual wanted in connection with an assault within the confines of the 60 Precinct. Details are as follows. On Friday, July 13, 2012 at approximately 8:00PM, in the vicinity of Brighton Beach Avenue and Coney Island Avenue, a white male punched and bit the victim (NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agent). The suspect fled in an unknown direction.

The suspect is described as male white, 25-30, approximately 5’10″- 6’0″. He was last seen wearing a black shirt, black shorts and dark-colored sneakers.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

[via Brooklyn Scoop]

Sheepshead Bites dedicates this week’s open thread to the 70 victims of the Aurora, Colorado, shooting – 12 of whom were mortally wounded.

A complete list of the victims can be found here, complete with biographical information reminding you that these were people, not numbers.

This unthinkable violence, senseless in every way, is a national tragedy that weighs on the hearts of all of us, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims.

Surveillance cameras are set to be installed at the Sheepshead – Nostrand Housing Projects in August, according to Councilman Michael Nelson, who nearly quadrupled the funding for this project last month.

Residents, though, should be skeptical of any proposed date.

Find out why residents should doubt the start date.

A swastika found in Gerritsen Beach last week (Source: GerritsenBeach.net)

A militant Jewish organization announced over the weekend that it will send “security teams” to Marine Park, calling for Jewish residents witnessing anti-Semitic acts of vandalism to “smash the neo-Nazis to pieces physically.”

The Jewish Defense Organization is deploying their patrols in Marine Park, Borough Park and other areas that were recently targeted by anti-Semitic vandals. The neighborhood has been plagued by hate-related graffiti, most recently in late June when a swastika was painted on a sidewalk near a Marine Park synagogue. Last week, swastikas were found on a bulkhead in nearby Gerritsen Beach.

Keep reading for the JDO’s full statement, and the NYPD’s response.

Norman Vanigas, the 23-year-old suspected of a sex assault and firing on police officers late Sunday night, is now off the streets and in police custody.

Authorities arrested Vanigas yesterday in the Bronx, charging him with attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal use of a firearm, police said.

Here’s the rundown from DNAinfo:

At about 11 p.m. Sunday, a 21-year-old woman told Brooklyn cops that she had just been sexually assaulted by a man armed with a gun and knife near Oceanview Avenue in Brighton Beach, police stated. The officers then broadcast the man’s description over the radio.

Barely four blocks away, two cops in a patrol car allegedly spotted Vanigas, who fit the suspect’s description, walking east on Brighton 10th Street toward Neptune Avenue, the NYPD said. When the officers pulled their cruiser in front of Vanigas, he reportedly ran to the north side of Neptune Avenue, took out a gun and fired once at the cops.

The officers did not return fire, police said, and the Vanigas reportedly escaped on foot, sparking a two-day manhunt that ultimately led to his arrest.

Police have not charged Vanigas with any crimes pertaining to the alleged sexual assault, an NYPD spokesman said.

Source: NYPD

Norman Vanigas, 23, is wanted by police as a suspect for firing at police officers when stopped for questioning in last night’s sexual assault call. Authorities are offering a $12,000 reward for any information leading to his arrest.

Investigators are still determining if Vanigas was responsible for the sexual assault.

If you have any information regarding Vanigas, call 800-577-TIPS. You can also submit tips at www.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.

Source: NYPD

A sexual assault suspect fired on officers late Sunday night, kicking off a pursuit that lasted early into the morning and turned up no results.

(UPDATE [1:49 p.m.]: Police have released a photo of the suspect, Norman Vanigas, posted above. There is a $12,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.)

A helicopter circled the area from approximately 11:30 p.m. and police cars and foot patrols swarmed the streets around Shore Parkway and East 14th Street, where the attack is believed to have occurred.

DNAinfo reports:

Shortly before midnight, officers received a report that a woman in her 20s had been sexually assaulted near Shore Parkway and East 14th Street, police said. As cops canvassed the area, they encountered the suspect, who fled the area on foot.

“The suspect did at one point turn around and fire something in the general direction of the officers,” a police source said. “It’s unknown if it was a firearm or a pellet gun or a firecracker. It did make a noise of some sort.”

The suspect was not caught, despite that the search went on until at least 2:00 a.m., according to neighbors who live in the area.

The increased level of police activity was first reported by Sheepshead Bites, drawing residents in the area who helped fill neighbors in.

One reader, Mickie W., sent in the following report:

However according to sources on the ground in Zephyr’s Superette, the commotion began with an attempted rape in or near Brighton Beach during which the perpetrator pulled a gun and fired a round either at or within the vicinity of law enforcement, prompting an intense neighborhood wide manhunt.  The target of air and ground search were trees and bushes along the elevated tracks running between Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay.  An individual was allegedly taken into custody for identification and questioning but again, no confirmation from police.  Air and foot support appeared to stand down around 2 a.m. although the command vehicles stationed on east 14th and 15th Streets remained.

A commenter on the original post added:

I live on Ocean & X my fiance and I were stopped by officers while walking our dog. They asked for identification and let us go. I can still hear the helicopters circling the area. Hope they find who they are looking for.

Reader Andrew Kent was following chatter on the police scanner, submitting the following:

They were looking for someone supposedly hiding in a dumpster behind Reynolds, but now they’re trying to get access to the school to search.  The original call may have come from a porter inside the school.

Another resident living near the focal area of the search described part of the scene:

They circled over shore parkway and east 13th & Homecrest for about 40 minutes. A police van drove over a pile of garbage as though they were trying to scare somebody who was hiding in the pile and then walking officers came over and kicked the trash cans.

More officers were searching the bushes behind a building on Homecrest. Helicopter is still flying in the vicinity of the Belt Parkway and East 14th street.

And here’s a little more info from a reader that helps pinpoint the location:

E12th has half of the block closed off with yellow tape … from what the cops are saying shots happened right under the bridge on Neptune side.

(THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED HERE: Sheepshead Bay Sex Assault Suspect Fires At Cops, Sparking Five-Hour Pursuit)

There is currently heavy police activity in Sheepshead Bay, near Emmons Avenue and East 14th Street.

A helicopter circles above the Belt Parkway, expanding and contracting its search as police vehicles roam the streets at least as far north as Avenue Y.

We’ve received messages from readers with conflicting accounts. We are working on discovering the details, but here’s how one tipster described it:

Sunday 11:35 pm: Five squad cars and at least one unmarked suv patrolling east 14th &15th … Pedestrians of a young male description were being stopped on emmons according to several young neighbors returning from the store. Foot patrols of 4 and 6 officers walked East 15th and checked alleys and vacant lots. NYPD Helicopter was brought in to circle overhead. Entire brigade moved off towards Coney Island Avenue around 11:50 pm although what seemed to be more than one helicopter continued to sweep the neighborhood until after midnight.

UPDATE: A Facebook reader points us to these alerts on Twitter, from: @AlwaysAction. However, it says West 12th Street, and we haven’t yet verified a connection:

Screenshot taken 12:10 a.m.

This is a breaking news story and may contain inaccuracies. We will update it as more information becomes available. If anyone has more information or additional photos, please send them to tips (at) sheepsheadbites (dot) com.

Bedford Avenue and Gravesend Neck Road, the scene of the alleged hate crime. (Source: Google Maps)

An Orthodox Jewish man was assaulted on Friday by a gang of thugs following Sabbath services, Councilman Michael Nelson has told Sheepshead Bites.

In a press release expressing shock and outrage over a recent spate of anti-Semitic vandalism in Jewish communities across Brooklyn, Nelson described the assault that happened in his own district. In the release, Nelson was joined by other local elected condemning the attack.

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unit is investigating the assault.

Here’s the relevant portion of the release:

“The man was brutally assaulted simply because he is a Jew.” A band of 5 or 6 perpetrators accosted the individual on Bedford Avenue & Neck Road in Sheepshead Bay, called him a “Kike” and a “dirty Jew,” and then two of them proceeded to pummel him with their fists leaving the man injured with a black eye and other contusions.

“I am speechless that such acts of hate and violence, which harken back to what the Nazis did, are occurring right here in communities that boldly pride themselves on their rich diversity,” Councilman Nelson asserted. “We are a civilized society and must not tolerate hate crimes of any kind,” stressed Nelson. “Anti-Semitism is not just an attack on members of the Jewish faith; it is an attack on everyone. We must therefore ALL stand united to tackle this problem in a way that discourages such reprehensible, cowardly acts,” Nelson asserted.

“I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our neighborhood. I am pleased that the NYPD has agreed to our demand for increase patrols and thank Shomrim for stepping up their presence, as well. We are going to both nip this in the bud and bring these thugs to justice,” said Councilman Lew Fidler.

“These incidents are under investigation by the NYPD Hate Crimes Unit,” stated Councilman Michael C. Nelson.

“I am appalled by this reprehensible action of Anti-Semitism. This bias incident will not be tolerated, and we ask individuals with information to please come forward and call the Confidential NYPD TIPS LINE at 1-800-577-TIPS,” said Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein upon hearing about Friday night’s attack.