Crime · Queens County
A 17-year-old Far Rockaway resident was arraigned Wednesday at Queens Supreme Court on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon for the Sept. 21 shooting death of 14-year-old Malakai Adams at the Ocean Bay Apartments (51-24 Beach Channel Dr.) in Arverne. According to the criminal complaint, the defendant approached Adams around 3:33 p.m., fired two shots striking him in the lower back, then fled on the victim's scooter before changing clothes in a public restroom. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz called it a targeted killing; Justice Seth Steed remanded the teen without bail with a return date of Oct. 19. Adams was transported to Cohen Children's Medical Center in Glen Oaks, where he died from his wound.
Community News · New York, NY
On Oct. 14, Gov. Kathy Hochul joined Queens elected officials at PS 398Q to announce $10 million in state funding for Jackson Heights' first-ever Boys and Girls Club, operated by Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens. The project has secured $33.8 million toward a $60 million target from public and private partners, including $10 million from Metropolitan Park and $9.3 million from the City Council. The 30,000-square-foot center at 70-02 34th Ave. will include the neighborhood's first community swimming pool, a basketball court, an auditorium theater, and programs for youth, seniors, workforce development, and early childhood education. Variety expects construction to begin soon with completion targeted toward the end of the decade, serving an estimated 5,000–10,000 children annually.
Community News · Queens County
The Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center in Rego Park, Queens, reopened last week after a four-year, $26 million renovation funded by the NYC Parks Department. The 1939 Works Progress Administration-era building, originally used as a firing range for Queens veterans, received upgrades including a redesigned entrance, refurbished fitness spaces, a new basketball court, updated restrooms, and improved accessibility and safety systems. Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura and Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the reopening, which serves residents of Central Queens—a neighborhood officials noted lacks sizable parks or playgrounds. The facility was named for a World War I unit of mainly New Yorkers who held their position for five days in France's Argonne Forest.
Local Politics · Queens County
In Queens' most competitive race, Democrat Pesach Osina raised nearly $45,000 in the last period versus Republican Thomas Sullivan's $25,000 for the 23rd Assembly District seat; Osina holds $143,000 in cash while Sullivan has about $104,000. Sullivan, a retired Army colonel making his third bid, has spent heavily on political consulting, including roughly $56,000 to Las Vegas-based McShane LLC. In Assembly District 30, Republican Brandon Castro holds $47,000 in the bank against Democrat Patrick Martinez's under $10,000, despite Martinez out-raising Castro in the last period. Early voting begins Oct. 24 and runs through Election Day on Nov. 3.
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Crime · Queens County
Elvin Rivera, 57, of Flushing was arraigned Monday in Queens Criminal Court on charges including second-degree manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, and driving under the influence after allegedly striking and killing 1-year-old Justin Hu in a stroller at the intersection of Murray Street and 32nd Avenue in Murray Hill at 8:35 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. The child was being pushed by his nanny in a marked crosswalk when Rivera reportedly rolled through a stop sign and accelerated into the intersection. A field sobriety test and drug test detected cocaine and THC in Rivera's system; he also had an open DWI case in the Bronx from April 2026. The 69-year-old nanny sustained a right-arm injury and was treated at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital in stable condition. Rivera pleaded not guilty and was remanded without bail, with a return court date set for Oct. 19.
Public Safety · New York, NY
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced new NYPD use-of-force policy reforms Monday, including a full review of force policies, a $2.6 million funding increase for the Office of the Inspector General, and formalized information-sharing rules after misconduct incidents. The reforms respond to the department's mishandling of the Win Rozario case, in which officer Salvatore Alongi retired with an enhanced pension while under Civilian Complaint Review Board investigation, avoiding disciplinary charges. Justice Committee Executive Director Loyda Colon said the changes do not go far enough, calling for a new inspector general appointment and 24-hour public disclosure of officers involved in shootings. The other officer in the March 2024 shooting of Rozario at his Queens home, Matthew Cianfrocco, still faces a pending CCRB investigation with no trial date set.
Public Safety · New York, NY
U.S. District Judge Hector Gonzalez ordered federal prosecutors to explain by 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19, why Oscar Belgal, 28, shot in the neck by ICE agents near West 225th Street and Marble Hill Avenue on Oct. 8, should not be released from custody, while barring his deportation or transfer outside New York City's federal judicial districts. The Legal Aid Society filed a habeas corpus petition alleging Belgal's arrest was unlawful and that he remains at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn without surgery doctors recommended for the bullet lodged in his neck. DHS defended the operation citing Belgal's criminal history and alleged gang ties, while his attorneys deny those claims and allege agents failed to identify themselves or present a warrant before firing into his vehicle where his 5-year-old son sat. The incident drew protests and condemnation from Mayor Zohran Mamdani; the shooting remains under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.
Local Politics · New York, NY
New York City's City Council is expected to approve a bill next week banning horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park, ending the industry by 2028. The push intensified after 18-year-old Indian tourist Romanch Mahajan died in June when he jumped from a runaway carriage during a ride with family members. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin reached a deal on the legislation, which includes a workforce transition plan for drivers and humane-disposal requirements for horses. Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen opposed the bill, calling it "political opportunism" that destroys immigrant families' livelihoods.
Crime · New York, NY
Federal prosecutors in New York urged a judge to impose life sentences on twins Oren and Alon Alexander (39) and Tal Alexander (40), convicted luxury real estate brokers known as the "A Team," for drugging and sexually assaulting dozens of women over roughly two decades. Prosecutors identified at least 70 victims, while defense attorneys recommended 15-year terms and maintained the brothers' innocence, planning an appeal. The Probation Office recommended 180-year sentences for Alon and Tal Alexander and 195 years for Oren Alexander. Sentencing before Judge Valerie E. Caproni is scheduled for Oct. 27.
Local Politics · New York, NY
Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Jeffrey Gershuny, who served in Queens from 2019 to 2024, was publicly censured by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct on Tuesday after he used his unloaded SIG Sauer P365 pistol during an August 2025 suppression hearing at Brooklyn Criminal Court to attempt to deceive a police officer witness. Gershuny placed a stapler in a shopping bag instead of the gun but lied about its contents while questioning the officer, who ultimately identified only an 'L-shaped object.' Based partly on this experiment, Gershuny suppressed the gun evidence, and prosecutors subsequently dropped charges against the defendant. The commission found that while judges are exempt from NYC courtroom gun bans, Gershuny violated judicial conduct rules governing honesty with witnesses.
Crime · Queens County
Police evicted two alleged squatters, Vernon Glass and Lusascha Taylor, from a deceased man's unowned home in Bayside on Tuesday, transferring the property to the Queens public administrator. The pair allegedly broke into the million-dollar house around 2024 after owner Richard Klibschon died intestate in 2018; they were arrested in September and charged with burglary and trespassing, pleading not guilty. Forty-one neighbors had petitioned U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi in April for help, prompting the public administrator's involvement. The office plans to clear belongings and list the home for sale within one to two months, while officials noted that lax enforcement of death-notification requirements has made such cases increasingly common across Queens.
Housing & Development · Queens County
Building permits have been filed for a 15-story mixed-use structure with 94 apartments at 44-61 21st St. in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. The building would span 108,308 square feet, with approximately 79,778 square feet residential and 28,530 square feet commercial space, and include four enclosed parking spaces. Demolition permits for the existing one-story structure at the site were filed in September 2026; no estimated construction completion date has been provided. The listed owner is Zev Mayer of Walton Developers, with Kao Hwa Lee Architects as architect of record.
