Archive for the tag ‘Coney Island’

missing

Authorities issued a Silver Alert for Gerald Kinnison, a 65-year-old man with dementia who went missing yesterday morning from his Coney Island home.

Kinnison is described as a 6’1″ black male, weighing 145 lbs with gray hair.

He was last seen at approximately 8am on Thursday wearing black jeans and a brown shirt near Surf Avenue and West 23rd Street.

Kinnison also went missing two weeks ago, but was later found.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.

Source: wheany/Flickr

Source: wheany/Flickr

The NYPD Harbor Unit saved a stranded 19-year-old who was injured and suffering from hypothermia in Coney Island’s waters Saturday.

The marine unit responded after a 7pm 911 call for a drowning man. They found the man stuck on a cluster of rocks approximately 600 feet away from the sands. With four foot waves violently crashing into the rocks, the man was unable to get off the jetty by himself.

Fortunately, three officers with a combined 34 years of experience were there to help. Officer Peter Jessnick pulled the boat in close despite the rough waters. Officers Dianna Belioni and Thomas Carrol called out to the man and threw him a life ring.

Once the distressed swimmer got the ring, officers were able to pull him aboard and treated him for hypothermia.

They brought him to Kingsborough Community College, where the FDNY has a dock and marine base. EMS took him to Coney Island Hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and bruising to his body, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Sea Park Apartments (Source: Google Maps)

Sea Park Apartments (Source: Google Maps)

Cops are investigating an apparent homicide in Coney Island, in which a 23-year-old man was found shot once in the head.

The grisly scene unfolded at the Sea Park Apartments at 2980 West 28th Street just after 8:00pm. Cops arrived to find the victim’s body in the hallway of the 17th floor.

The NYPD is not releasing the victim’s name, pending family notification.

They are still investigating, and no arrests have been made.

robbery

Cops say the man in the photo above attacked and robbed an 80-year-old woman and left her injured in the streets.

The man approached his victim from behind in Coney Island and violently grabbed at her purse, authorities say. She was knocked to the ground and left with minor injuries, while he fled.

The suspect was last seen wearing a grey tank top, dark pants, black du-rag and carrying a dark colored backpack.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.

Update (1:22 p.m.): We’ve learned that this incident actually happened on Bay 46th Street in Bath Beach – not Coney Island as we previously reported. The story has been amended.

missing

Keep an eye out for Gerald Kinnison, a 65-year-old man who went missing in Coney Island Tuesday night.

Kinnison, who suffers from dementia, was last seen August 26 just after 11:00 p.m. at Surf Manor (2316 Surf Avenue), the assisted living facility where he lives.

He is 6’1″, 175 lbs, with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes. He wears a metal necklace with identifying information.

If you see Kinnison, please call 911 immediately.

West 23rd Street and Mermaid Avenue, the scene of the shooting (Source: Google Maps)

West 23rd Street and Mermaid Avenue, the scene of the shooting (Source: Google Maps)

Following a shooting yesterday in broad daylight that left one dead, and other recent violence in the neighborhood, fed up residents of Coney Island are holding a rally to call for an end to area violence.

The rally will kick off today, August 27, at 6:00 p.m. on West 24th Street and Mermaid Avenue – the site of yesterday’s fatal shooting.

It is being organized by the Coney Island Anti-Violence Collaborative, which formed in December after a spate of fatal shootings in Coney Island around Christmas last year.

Local elected officials were slated to hold a legislative softball game at MCU Park this evening, but they canceled it out of respect following the shooting. Several, including Councilman Mark Treyger and Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny, will attend the rally instead.

West 23rd Street and Mermaid Avenue, the scene of the shooting (Source: Google Maps)

West 23rd Street and Mermaid Avenue, the scene of the shooting (Source: Google Maps)

Gunshots rang out on Mermaid Avenue yesterday afternoon, when Coney Island resident Ronnell Bradley, 21, was gunned down outside of a bodega as children played nearby.

Cops were called to the scene just after 4:00 p.m. for a person shot outside of 2327 Mermaid Avenue. They arrived to find Bradley with several gunshot wounds to the torso and legs. He was taken to Coney Island where he was pronounced dead.

There were no arrests and police had no suspects as of early this morning.

According to NBC, two young girls were also nearly clipped by bullets until a member of the Guardian Angels volunteer crime patrol pulled them to safety.

“The two little girls were shouting ‘Mommy, mommy,’” the Guardian Angel, Jose Colon, told the outlet.

Colon also spoke to NY1, telling them that violence remains a serious problem in the community and neighbors are afraid to speak out.

“Too much, a lot of people and they see something suspicious—they be quiet. And they say, ‘You snitch, you get…’ You know what I mean,” Colon told NY1.

The intersection where Bradley was gunned down is the same corner where a 10-year-old boy and 25-year-old man were struck by stray bullets in June. In May, another double shooting on Mermaid Avenue led local pols to call for more cops in the residential portion of Coney Island.

As of August 10, that latest date for which there are statistics, there have been 13 shootings, with 15 victims, in 2014 in the 60th Precinct, which patrols Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Gravesend. That’s a decrease from the same time period in 2013, which saw 17 shootings and 23 victims. Though shootings are down in the 60th Precinct, citywide gun violence is surging, with a 10.3 percent increase in incidents.

2940 West 21st Street, where police responded to the shooting. (Source: Google Maps)

2940 West 21st Street, where police responded to the shooting. (Source: Google Maps)

Cops were called to 2940 West 21st Street last night, where they found 22-year-old Victor Rosado shot dead.

Rosado lived around the corner from where police found him crumpled on the sidewalk just after 11:30 p.m., at 2007 Surf Avenue. He was taken to Lutheran Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

According to News 12, Rosado was an active member of the Coney Island community and was an expectant father.

Witnesses told the Daily News that there was no provocation for the shooting, with Rosado just hanging out with friends and playing a game of chess when an unknown gunman opened fire on the group.

“They killed my little man,” one man, who didn’t want to be identified, said as he choked back tears.

“We was just hanging out, listening to music, playing chess, and they just started shooting. God, that was my little man.”

The man said he ran for safety when the gunshots rained down on them and couldn’t see who the shooter or shooters were.

No arrests have been made.

As of August 10, that latest date for which there are statistics, there have been 13 shootings, with 15 victims, in 2014 in the 60th Precinct, which patrols Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Gravesend. That’s a decrease from the same time period in 2013, which saw 16 shootings and 21 victims. Though shootings are down in the 60th Precinct, citywide gun violence is surging, with a 13 percent increase in incidents.

Source: FreeVerse Photography/Flickr

Improv Everywhere, the group behind the no pants subway ride and Frozen Grand Central gags, returned to Coney Island for the 5th Annual Black Tie Beach event on Saturday.

Source: FreeVerse Photography/Flickr

Hundreds of the group’s acolytes gathered on the shoreline in their best formal wear – gowns, tuxedos, top hats, monocles – before plunging into the water fully clothed.

Source: FreeVerse Photography/Flickr

Meanwhile, those not in on the gag, which would be just about anyone else hanging around Coney Island or Brighton Beach, let loose a series of guffaws as they tried to figure out what was going on.

Source: FreeVerse Photography/Flickr

The group’s website has several photo collections from the event posted already, and they’re working on a video. In the meantime, here’s last year‘s video:

Did you catch the black tie crew? What was your reaction?

All of the photos for this post were taken by Dave Bledsoe/FreeVerse Photography, who generously posted them with a Creative Commons license on Flickr. Check out his photostream for more.

Photo by Elle Spektor

Photo by Elle Spektor

Beachgoers on Saturday were dazzled by dozens of sand sculptors who carved up the shore for the 24th Annual Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest.

The event, hosted by Astella Development Corporation and Brooklyn Community Services, saw the creation of everything from the amusing and bizarre to touching tributes, including one of Ground Zero and another to the U.S. Army.

A favorite of our two tipster-photographers, Avi Salzman and Elle Spektor, was a sand likeness of what may be your humble editor, an overweight man passed out on the sand, hat over his eyes and Nathan’s Famous cup in hand.

Arizona Iced Tea sponsored the event, giving away complimentary iced teas to and crafting their own logo in the sand.

Check out the photos.

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