A man who terrorized parkgoers during two daylight shootings in Tompkins Square Park over five days in March 2024 has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The sentence for Waldemar Alverio handed down yesterday in New York Supreme Criminal Court includes five years of post-release supervision, according to Manhattan D.A. Bragg's office. Alverio faced multiple charges, including three counts of An Attempt to Commit the Crime of Murder in the Second Degree and two counts of Assault in the First Degree.
On March 16, 2024, at 12:45 p.m., two men allegedly chased, punched and kicked Alverio. As they ran off, Alverio unzipped his bag and pulled out a gun, firing at them five times, per court documents.
Alverio struck one of the two men in the buttocks, fracturing his pelvis and lodging a bullet in his hip. Alverio also shot a bystander, a 53-year-old tourist, fracturing her right hip, which had to be surgically replaced. The D.A.'s office last year said that she would need "months of physical therapy as she learns how to walk again."
Five days later, on March 21, Alverio returned to Tompkins Square Park just after noon, approached a group in the park, and shot at them five times.
While Alverio did not strike anyone on that day, one bullet smashed through a window and into a bedroom in an apartment building across Seventh Street, and another bullet smashed through a window and lodged in a stairwell in a second building on Seventh Street.
Officers from the 7th Precinct recognized Alverio from a wanted flyer and arrested him on Delancey Street on March 26, 2024.
"Waldemar Alverio is facing accountability for a pair of shootings in Tompkins Square Park that injured two and threatened the safety of many other bystanders. Parks must be safe havens for Manhattanites to gather and spend time with their friends and family, and nobody should have to worry they will be struck by a bullet in the middle of the day," Bragg said in a statement. "Combatting gun violence remains my top priority, and we will continue to prosecute those who use illegal firearms, while also making investments in our communities to address the root causes of shootings."
The post has been updated as new information has become available
Updated 3/11: Tom & Jerry's has started a crowdfunding campaign for the victim, Anton Albert. Story here. Contrary to earlier reports, Albert was not a bar employee.
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A 39-year-old man was reportedly shot and killed early this morning inside Tom & Jerry's on Elizabeth Street near Houston.
An updated version of the story claims that "the shooter was drunk and had just been ejected from the bar when the bullets started flying."
Per an updated News article:
"They kicked him out and he went outside, and just pulled out a gun," said Kevin Ames, who was visiting a friend who lives upstairs from the bar when the shooting occurred. "[He] shot in the window and killed one of the bouncers."
The gunman was last seen on Houston. No arrests have been made, police said.
Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips online. All calls are confidential.
A man who reportedly gunned down a rival gang member in May 2022 has been sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison.
On Friday, Manhattan D.A. Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the sentencing of 20-year-old Zymir Humphrey for murdering 21-year-old Brandon Atkinson on May 15, 2022, on Third Street and Avenue D. That shooting set in motion a series of retaliatory deadly shootings.
According to court documents and statements, the case involved members of rival local gangs, Up the Hill and Down the Hill.
Per the DA's office:
In May of 2022, an associate of Up the Hill was the victim of a robbery and Humphrey, who was a member of Up the Hill, believed that the rival gang was responsible. Atkinson, although an associate of Down the Hill, was not part of the robbery.
As admitted in the defendant's guilty plea, on May 15, 2022, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Atkinson was at a deli near East Third Street and Avenue D. Humphrey traveled to the area, which was believed to be territory belonging to the rival gang, and shot Atkinson in the back of the head. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
U.S. Marshals arrested Humphrey in West Virginia in July 2022 and extradited him back to NYC. This past November, he pleaded guilty in New York Supreme Court to one count of Murder in the Second Degree.
"Zymir Humphrey shot and killed Brandon Atkinson in a cruel and vicious act of gun violence," Bragg said in a statement. "Senseless cycles of retribution continue to fuel gun violence that destabilizes our communities and, far too often, results in the deaths of young New Yorkers. As Manhattan district attorney, tackling gun violence remains my top priority."
Atkinson's death was part of a sprawling gang feud that also saw two local residents murdered in the Bronx. According to published reports, LES resident Nikki Huang, 23, allegedly had her purse stolen by a member of the Down the Hill gang. Huang, who was said to have friends in the Up the Hill gang, told them about the snatching.
As the Postreported, the payback started with Atkinson's death.
Later that night, two Up the Hill members were shot and wounded on Pike Street. Huang and a friend from middle school, Jesse Parrilla, 22, were also kidnapped and executed that night near the Pelham Split Rock Golf Course in the Bronx.
Parrilla, a former college basketball player who lived with his mother on 12th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, was said to be an innocent bystander. According to press reports, he simply gave a longtime friend a ride.
Three suspects have been charged for the murders of Huang and Parrilla. Those cases remain active. A fourth suspect remains at large.
Before the sentencing on Friday, Humphrey offered an apology. "I would like to apologize to Nikki Huang's family because, in all reality, she didn't have anything to do with [any] of this. Jesse's family also," the Daily Newsreported.
While being led out of the courtroom, Humphrey told someone in attendance to "smoke that weed," per press accounts.
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A memorial for Brandon Atkinson on the corner of Third Street and Avenue D from May 2022
Manhattan D.A. Bragg yesterday announced a guilty plea from the suspect arrested for two shootings in Tompkins Square Park in March 2024.
According to the D.A.'s office, 38-year-old Waldemar Alverio pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to three counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree. He is expected to be sentenced on Feb. 3 "to a promised term of 13 years in state prison," per the D.A.'s office.
On March 16, 2024, at 12:45 p.m., two men allegedly chased, punched and kicked Alverio. As they ran off, Alverio unzipped his bag and pulled out a gun, firing at them five times, per court documents.
Alverio struck one of the two men in the buttocks, fracturing his pelvis and lodging a bullet in his hip. Alverio also shot a bystander, a 53-year-old tourist, fracturing her right hip, which had to be surgically replaced. Per the D.A.'s office, "she will require months of physical therapy as she learns how to walk again."
Five days later, on March 21, Alverio returned to Tompkins Square Park just after noon, approached a group in the park, and shot at them five times.
While Alverio did not strike anyone on that day, one bullet smashed through a window into a bedroom in an apartment building across Seventh Street, and another bullet smashed through a window and lodged in a stairwell in a second building on Seventh Street.
Officers from the 7th Precinct recognized Alverio from a wanted flyer and arrested him on Delancey Street on March 26.
"These senseless and reckless shootings left two victims significantly injured and put the safety of many New Yorkers at risk," Bragg said in a statement. "Combatting gun violence is crucial to achieving lasting public safety, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove illegal firearms off our city's streets and drive down shootings."
Residents who live around Avenue B and Fourth Street were startled early this morning by the sound of a heated argument that escalated into gunfire.
Witnesses reported hearing an initial volley of three shots around 3 a.m., followed by three more moments later. Witnesses said at least one person was struck.
One shot shattered the Half Gallery's front door on the NW corner of Fourth and B. Another shell casing was discovered near a dumpster at 240 E. Fourth St./50 Avenue B.
Witnesses described seeing a man crouched behind a dumpster during the incident while another individual was spotted fleeing the scene.
Two neighbors managed to capture blurry cell phone images of at least one of the individuals involved, which have been turned over to the NYPD.
This is a developing story. We will update you when more information becomes available.
Updated 3 p.m.
A witness told us that one man was struck in the leg during the shooting. It is unknown whether he was the intended victim or a passerby.
Witnesses and other sources on the block said the argument stemmed from a party held on recent Saturday nights inside the former Lamia's Fish Market at 47 Avenue B. A witness who spoke with police said the event, allegedly hosted by Populares Cantina Mexicana, was shut down by the NYPD at 2 a.m.
There is a bullet hole inside the Half Gallery (between these two paintings)...
... and another in the door at 240 E. Fourth St./50 Avenue B.
Updated 11/27: Police said a suspect has been arrested in the shooting.
An East Village resident accused of stabbing a passenger in the back while exiting a Brooklyn-bound L train at the First Avenue stop last month has been indicted.
Yesterday, Manhattan D.A. Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the indictment of Raymond Kwok, 27, for stabbing a 29-year-old man this past Sept. 20. Kwok is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Assault in the Second Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree.
"New Yorkers relying on public transportation deserve to be safe, and violence in our transit system, especially with dangerous weapons, will not be tolerated," Bragg said in a statement.
According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, on Sept. 20, at approximately 8:43 p.m., Kwok and the victim argued after bumping into each other while the man was walking downstairs at the First Avenue L train station. A few moments later, as the man continued walking, Kwok stabbed him in the back, according to Bragg's office. Per reports at the time, the two men did not know each other.
The victim was eventually transported to Bellevue, where he received stitches for the cut.
Kwok fled the scene and was picked up three days later. During his arrest, officers found a switchblade in Kwok's right pocket.
Updated 9/23: Police have made an arrest in the case. Details here. The suspect, an East Village resident, is out on bail.
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According to the NYPD and media accounts, a 29-year-old man was stabbed in the back last night just before 9 by a stranger as he was exiting a Brooklyn-bound L train at the First Avenue stop.
The Daily Newsreported the victim first thought he had been punched until he saw the blood.
Per the News: "Police later described the possible attacker as 'an Asian man with a bag.'"
In a follow-up story, amNYreported that when leaving the station, the victim "bumped into the suspect, who then engaged in a verbal argument with him." The suspect then stabbed the man and ran off.
According to surveillance footage released by the NYPD, the suspect was wearing a white baseball cap, a white mask under his chin, a dark blue jacket with white lettering on the sleeves over a light blue shirt, dark pants, and blue-and-white sneakers.
EMTs took the victim to Bellevue, where he is in stable condition, ABC 7 reported.
Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential.
Manhattan D.A. Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the indictment of Rafael Macias and Angel Sardina for the fatal shooting of 74-year-old Fermin Brito and the wounding of a 44-year-old man in Tompkins Square Park this past July.
Both men face charges including Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.
The indictment follows an investigation into the July 12 shooting, where Macias and Sardina allegedly planned and executed the attack in a drug-related dispute. According to court documents, Sardina scouted the park around 8:25 a.m. by 9:50 a.m., and after identifying the victims, Macias pointed them out to Sardina.
Sardina then fired multiple shots at the chess tables inside the Avenue A and Seventh Street entrance, fatally wounding Brito and seriously injuring the other man. Brito was struck in the torso and died at the hospital. The second victim, struck four times, collapsed inside Avenue A Deli and Grill between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place after attempting to flee.
Per the D.A.'s office, the suspects fled toward Stuyvesant Town, changing their clothes to avoid detection. They were arrested on July 25.
The two men, both 63, were arraigned in New York State Supreme Court on Wednesday.
"Our city's parks should be safe spaces for all Manhattanites, and we will hold those accountable who endanger them with gun violence and illegal conduct," Bragg said in a statement.
This was the third shooting in Tompkins Square Park this year.
This past March, there were two daytime shootings (by the same suspect who was later arrested) in the Park. In the first shooting on March 16, a bullet struck an innocent bystander, a 53-year-old tourist, in her right hip, which had to be surgically replaced.
As for the July shooting, the chess tables remain closed behind barricades, and the NYPD has been on patrol in and around the Park — both on foot and in vehicles.
A personal assistant who was convicted of murdering his former boss in his East Houston Street home after embezzling $400,000 from him was sentenced on Tuesday to 40 years to life in prison.
Manhattan D.A. Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the sentencing of Tyrese Haspil in the brutal July 2020 slaying of tech CEO Fahim Saleh in his condo on the SW corner of Houston and Suffolk. Haspil, 25, was also ordered to pay restitution for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Saleh's companies.
Haspil was convicted on all charges, including Murder in the First Degree and two counts of Grand Larceny, in a New York State Supreme Court trial this past June.
Beginning in May 2018, Haspil worked as Saleh's entrepreneurial assistant, handling financial tasks. Over the following months, he executed a series of elaborate embezzlement schemes. By creating fake accounts and entities, Haspil stole increasing amounts of money, eventually totaling nearly $400,000.
Despite catching wind of one fraudulent scheme in early 2020, Saleh, showing mercy, offered Haspil a repayment plan instead of pursuing legal action. Haspil continued stealing and ultimately devised a plan to murder his boss to avoid facing criminal charges. (Press reports claimed that Haspil was worried his girlfriend would find out about the stolen money and leave him.)
On July 13, 2020, Haspil ambushed Saleh in his apartment after a planned attack involving a Taser and a knife. After killing him, Haspil attempted to cover up the crime by dismembering the body and disposing of evidence. His actions were discovered when Saleh's cousin, concerned after not hearing from him for a day, entered his apartment and made the grisly discovery.
Haspil was arrested four days later at an Airbnb, where he was celebrating his girlfriend's birthday. According to the DA's office, his PayPal embezzlement continued right up until his capture.
"While today’s sentence won't bring Mr. Saleh back, I hope it provides his family a sense of closure as they continue to mourn his painful loss," Bragg said in a statement.
Auxiliary officers from the 9th Precinct distributed flyers last week reminding residents to remain aware of their surroundings while out walking.
Per the 9th Precinct in an X post: "Recent thefts on 1st and 2nd Avenues involve thieves snatching pricey headphones. Keep an eye on your belongings."
The 9th answered a resident's follow-up question by stating that the suspects were riding bikes and ripping off pedestrians' over-the-ear headphones.
Perhaps headphone thefts will be a topic of conversation on Aug. 29 (4 p.m.) during the Build the Block community meeting for Sector D at the Third Street Music School, 235 E. 11th St., between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.
Sector D encompasses the north side of Seventh Street to the south side of 14th Street from the west side of First Avenue to the east side of Broadway. (Find your sector here.)
Be a part of the conversation! Sector David's Build the Block event is happening on August 29, 2024, at 4 PM. Residents and business owners in Sector David are encouraged to attend and meet their Neighborhood Coordination Officers, Officer Coye, and Officer Gutierrez. pic.twitter.com/jjqnTQ9C7h
Photo from last week on 14th Street looking west from Avenue A
Mayor Adams yesterday unveiled the 14th Street Community Improvement Coalition, a multi-city-agency approach to address the quality-of-life issues along the problematic corridor between Avenue A and First Avenue and surrounding streets.
A centerpiece of the plan includes the previously announced $1 million investment in a new Mobile Command Center, which will soon arrive on 14th Street. (The mayor said the command center will not be permanent.)
Adams made the announcement while flanked by a host of city administrators representing the NYPD, the FDNY, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY), the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), and the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene (DOHMH), and local elected officials. (You can watch the entire press conference below.)
"When we came into office, we had a clear mission: protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make our city more affordable and livable, and the '14th Street Community Improvement Coalition' precisely addresses these concerns — enhancing quality of life and making the East Village safer," Adams said at a press conference inside the 14th Street Y. "Our administration does not and will not tolerate an atmosphere where anything goes."
Since the stabbings, the NYPD has been a regular presence on the block, both on foot patrols and in patrol cars.
The NYPD also installed three light towers south of 14th Street between A and First. Residents have said they've seen improvements along the block.
Per Adams, the city formed the multi-agency coalition to tackle the complicated convergence of public safety issues, including illegal vending, retail theft, substance use and sales, the mental health crisis, and unlicensed cannabis shops.
In recent weeks, teams from various city agencies have conducted walkthroughs to observe these issues firsthand and engage with local community members and businesses. They have also identified individuals needing services, such as housing or medical care, and referred them to the appropriate city agencies.
To further enhance communication, the 9th and 13th Precincts have launched a WhatsApp chat with business owners along the East 14th Street corridor. The chat allows for real-time identification and resolution of concerns.
Adams outlined the following actions:
Conducting weekly NYPD operations to address homeless encampments, vendors, and persons needing assistance.
Assigning a dedicated NYPD foot post to address quality-of-life issues and maintain a visible presence along the commercial corridor of 14th
Affixing mobile light fixtures to sustain visibility.
Servicing litter baskets daily on all three DSNY shifts and addressing homeless encampments.
Deploying DSNY graffiti clean-up crews to remove graffiti on private property.
Ensuring availability of mental health units and homeless services outreach teams to support people in need of mental health support through DOHMH and DHS.
"This is not a problem that's going to come back to this area," Adams said emphatically. "What we saw here is not acceptable. This is not the city that we deserve. We deserve better, we're going to get better, but we're clear on the complexities of the problems that we're facing."
During the Q&A period with reporters, District 2 City Councilmember Carlina Rivera fielded a question about the weekend flea market at Immaculate Conception on 14th Street at First Avenue, which some residents said contributes to the quality-of-life issues.
The flea market moved to 14th Street in the fall of 2012 when the Mary Help of Christians property on Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street turned into luxury housing courtesy of Douglas Steiner.
As Rivera explained, the market wasn't a good fit for the space that Immaculate Conception had available.
"It was already too large for this space, so that market spilled onto the street, and people started attaching themselves to [it], saying they were affiliated with it when they were not. So it quickly did get out of control," she said.
Rivera said officials have talked with church leaders and the Archdiocese of New York, though no action has been taken on their behalf.
"They are relying on the revenue from that market to help sustain them," Rivera said. "So while the flea market continues, we are looking toward maybe suspending it, finding a different location, or using other means for the church to [generate] revenue. Because it's not working.
"We brought in the Street Vendor Project to try to organize the vendors. That has not worked. We've brought in faith-based institutions and clergy to speak to people," she continued. "So we've tried so many different approaches and perspectives, but really ... the corridor is just way too busy and there are too many things happening on it for us to have that market continue in the capacity that it is."
The press portion of yesterday's presentation begins at the 37-minute mark...
H/T Edmund John Dunn!
Previously on EV Grieve:
• A look at 14th Street this morning after the triple stabbing and homicide (June 24)
• NYPD light tower arrives on a cleaned-up SE corner of 14th Street and 1st Avenue (June 27)
• A look at 14th Street and 1st Avenue — 'a New York Block No One Can Fix' (July 10)
• From the archives: A documentary short about the intersection of 14th Street and 1st Avenue (July 11)
According to media accounts and police sources, the NYPD arrested two men last week — Angel Sardina, 63, and Rafael Macias, also 63.
The men, who each have an extensive criminal record, "were both staying in a Pike Street shelter-type situation." Officers from the Gun Violence Suppression Unit made the arrests, and the two were processed at the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street.
Sardina allegedly fired the shots that killed 74-year-old Fermin Frito, who was said to be selling drugs at the chess tables inside the 7th and A entrance to Tompkins Square Park. A second man, 44-year-old Edwin Rivera, was also shot in the ambush just before 10 a.m. It's not immediately clear what role Macias played in the shooting.
Public records show that the charges against Sardina include murder in the second degree. He is being held without bail at the Eric M. Taylor Center in East Elmhurst.
Police previously said this was a turf war over drug sales. "This is a targeted attack against a perceived drug rival," an NYPD source told us last month.
The chess tables remain closed behind barricades, and officers from the 9th and 13th Precincts have been on patrol in and around the Park—both on foot and in vehicles. Members of the NYPD's Mounted Unit have also been spotted patrolling the area.
In the wake of this incident, the 9th Precinct is emphasizing its commitment to community safety and is encouraging residents to participate in its upcoming National Night Out Against Crime on Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m., an event designed to strengthen police-community partnerships.
According to the police and media accounts, the victim, 74-year-old Fermin Frito, was selling drugs at the chess tables inside the 7th and A entrance when a suspect shot him and another man, 44-year-old Edwin Rivera, just before 10 a.m.
"This is a targeted attack against a perceived drug rival," an NYPD source told us. The source went on to say that this is what happens if you engage in drug activity ... if you are buying or dealing and emphasized that the rest of the Park is safe, including the playgrounds.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters that Rivera was allegedly a "steerer" who directed potential clients to Frito. Kenny also said that two crews are fighting over the drug trade in Tompkins, as the Daily News noted.
ABC 7 reported that Frito, who has 13 prior arrests, was stabbed in East Flatbush last month. Police are looking into any possible connection to the TSP shooting.
Our NYPD source said that the fact the police haven't released information about the alleged shooter means they have a pretty good idea who the suspect is and are trying to apprehend him without interference.
The chess tables will be closed behind barricades, as they've been after previous bouts of violence. Our source said this is a short-term solution, and between this and 14th Street, the NYPD will need other city agencies to assist.
After being shot near the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park yesterday morning, one of the two victims, a 44-year-old male, entered the Avenue A Deli and Grill between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, seeking help before collapsing, according to witnesses and police sources.
EMTs took the man to Bellevue. He was out of surgery early last evening, though we have not heard an official update on his condition.
The deli was expected to reopen after crime scene investigators finished their work last night. (These photos are from 6 p.m.)
The shooting occurred around 9:45 a.m., just inside the 7th and A entrance to Tompkins Square Park. One of the victims, a man in his 70s, died from his wounds. Police sources have said the shooting was drug-related.
The suspect, who was seen in the area up to an hour before the shooting, ran toward Seventh Street and Avenue B after the gunfire. Police sources said he may have discarded the white gloves and hoodie he was wearing before fleeing.
The NYPD has not yet released an official description of the suspect.
The chess tables, a hot spot for criminal activity in recent years, will remain "closed until further notice," per an X post early yesterday afternoon from local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera...
My office is in contact w/@NYPD9Pct regarding the shooting at Tompkins Square Park. NYPD is investigating and multiple departments and city agencies are on notice to address ongoing and related criminal activity in this area. The chess area will be closed until further notice.
— NYC Council Member Carlina Rivera (@CMCarlinaRivera) July 12, 2024
Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential.
Updated 9 a.m.
The Seventh and A entrance to the Park was open early this morning, with access to the chess tables... crime scene tape remained up on the fences nearby...
Updated 3 p.m.: The barricades are now blocking the chess tables (photo below by Stacie Joy)
This is a developing story, and we will update you when more information becomes available. Find the latest info, as of July 19, here. Updated 7/27: Police reportedly arrested two men in connection with the shooting. We are verifying the information with the NYPD.
Two men were shot this morning around 9:45 at the chess tables near the entrance to Tompkins Square Park at Seventh Street and Avenue A, the NYPD has confirmed.
The condition of the two victims is not known at the moment. Updated 1:14 p.m. Police confirmed that one of the victims, a man in his 70s, has died. (EMTs took both shooting victims to Bellevue.)
Police sources tell us that the shooting was drug-related and that it involved "problematic people at the Park."
The suspect, wearing a hoodie and mask, was seen fleeing down Seventh Street toward Avenue B. There are early reports of a white vehicle involved in a getaway.
Police are canvassing the area and scrutinizing surveillance footage.
Updated: Police said the suspect was seen in and around the Park about 50 minutes prior to the shooting wearing gloves, a mask, and a hoodie.
An EVG reader shared this with us:
Around 9:45 a.m. I heard around 5-8 shots ring out (LOUD shots), followed by everyone fleeing the Park. I was in the dog run with a whole bunch of fellow owners, trying to get our very scared pups out of there in a hurry. I'm a 15-year resident [and this was the] first time I've been forced to flee like that.
This past March, there were two daytime shootings (by the same suspect who was later arrested) in the Park. In the first shooting on March 16, a bullet struck an innocent bystander, a 53-year-old tourist, in her right hip, which had to be surgically replaced.
The chess tables have long been a problem, an area where there have been multiple reports of drug use and sales, fencing stolen property, and various fist/knife fights.
As we wrote in August 2022: "Eventually, the barricades are removed ... and nothing ever really changes."
Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential.
Previously on EV Grieve:
City clears and closes the area around the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park (Sept. 1, 2021)
The New York Times checked in yesterday with a look at the long-problematic stretch of 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue in a piece titled "A Street Brawl, a Stabbing Spree and a New York Block No One Can Fix" ... following the triple stabbing left one man dead on June 23.
As the paper notes, "East 14th Street also embodies New York City’s struggles with a web of interconnected ills that have defied attempts to rein them in and have flared since the pandemic in parts of Manhattan: homelessness and mental illness, addiction and rampant shoplifting and seesaw battles for control of public space."
The piece has more about the suspect, Alejandro Piedra, a 30-year-old man "with a history of serious mental illness who now faces charges of murder and attempted murder," and one of the stabbing victims, who has returned to 14th Street — his "stomping grounds."
Since the stabbings, the NYPD has been a regular presence on the block, both on foot patrols and in patrol cars. Last week, Mayor Adams reportedly allocated $1 million to place a police mobile command center there.
You can read the full article here. (The piece also mentions some previous EVG coverage.)
Meanwhile, on Monday, local elected officials took part in a meeting with various city agencies...
We must keep working together as a community to tackle our toughest issues, and I remain committed to securing more resources for 14th Street as public safety concerns persist. I'm grateful for today's multi-agency meeting and will keep fighting to improve our neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/WTYWX289hQ
We all want to be safe. That is why I Joined my colleagues and representatives from City agencies to discuss how to improve the 14th street corridor, which we have long raised concerns about. We had a good conversation with @NYPDnews@NYCSanitation w/ @NYCDHS and @GoddardRiv. pic.twitter.com/SKcCtwTFsy
Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg yesterday announced the indictment of Steven Johnson, 35, in the random slashing of a man on Astor Place on June 6. Bragg said that Johnson is also accused of assaulting a restaurant employee with a tire chain on St Mark's Place the day before.
The D.A.'s office stated that Johnson "is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Assault in the First Degree, and one count of Assault in the Second Degree."
According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, on June 5, 2024, at approximately 12:45 p.m. at 34 St. Mark's Place, Johnson was lying in front of and partially blocking the doorway of a restaurant entrance [there are two restaurants at the address — Birria LES and Anytime Street]. The restaurant employee recognized Johnson from a similar prior encounter, asked him to leave, and called 911. While the restaurant employee was on the phone with dispatchers, Johnson approached him from behind and struck him in the head with a metal bike chain, causing significant bleeding from a laceration that required stitches at Bellevue Hospital.
The next day, on June 6, 2024, Johnson was removed from the Union Square subway station after sitting in the middle of the platform and blocking pedestrian traffic. Minutes later, at approximately 5:15 p.m., Johnson walked behind a man who was seated at a table in the Astor Place pedestrian plaza and slashed him with a sharp object from his right ear to his left shoulder.
Johnson fled to the subway station at East 14th Street and First Avenue while bystanders rendered aid to the victim, who was rushed to Bellevue Hospital. The victim underwent surgery and is facing permanent scarring.
Police arrested Johnson on June 8 at the subway station on East 86th Street and Lexington Avenue wearing the same clothing he had on during the alleged assaults.
"My thoughts are with the victims as they heal from their extensive injuries," said Bragg in a statement. "Those who harm and threaten the safety of New Yorkers will be held accountable."
Public records show that Johnson is due back in court on Aug. 12.
We walked on 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue this morning around 7:30, when people typically start selling random items — including dented canned goods, rusted tools, soiled clothing and forgotten DVD titles — from sheets and blankets on the sidewalk.
Depending on the weather, up to a dozen people can be selling items.
The block was empty this morning except for the longtime fruit vendor who set up near Trader Joe's.
At Immaculate Conception Church, the weekly Saturday flea market was getting underway inside the grounds. (Local elected officials have asked the Archdiocese and the church to end the flea market, though to date, they have not heeded the requests.)
We saw two NYPD officers on foot patrol. As previously mentioned, there are also the two NYPD light towers on the south side of the street.
Police arrested a suspect, 30-year-old Alejandro Piedra, who was later charged with murder with depraved indifference and attempted murder with depraved indifference, according to the NYPD and media accounts. Police said Piedra allegedly killed 38-year-old Clemson Cockfield and injured his wife, 52-year-old Jennifer Cockfield, as well as another man, 32-year-old Jonathan Lopez.
During a police briefing on Tuesday, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said all three victims sell second-hand items along this block.
The sidewalk sales are just one of the activities that residents have cited through the years along this problematic block, quality-of-life issues that include drug trafficking, early morning prostitution, and a growing unhoused population in need of city services.
Residents here are hopeful the changes that have occurred in the past week will become permanent.
Meanwhile, someone launched a website titled Carlina From the Block, documenting what has happened since the deadly fight last Sunday ... and calling out the District 2 City Councilmember for not taking more action on 14th Street over the past seven years.
An NYPD floodlight tower now sits outside the Immaculate Conception Church on 14th Street at First Avenue... a long-troubled stretch of the East Village. [Updated: There's a second tower outside the L stop closer to Avenue A.]
This arrival comes after a triple stabbing that left a 38-year-old man dead this past Sunday just before 6 p.m. Witnesses said the stabbing took place in the street and sidewalk in the area between Trader Joe's and the Wingstop. (Fox 5 has images of the deadly fight here.) The fight started on 13th Street just east of First Avenue before escalating a block over, witnesses have said.
Police arrested a suspect, 30-year-old Alejandro Piedra, who was later charged with murder with depraved indifference and attempted murder with depraved indifference, according to the NYPD and media accounts. Police said Piedra allegedly killed 38-year-old Clemson Cockfield and injured his wife, 52-year-old Jennifer Cockfield, as well as another man, 32-year-old Jonathan Lopez.
During a police briefing on Tuesday, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said all three victims sell second-hand items along 14th Street.
Lopez left his wife and items to go to the bathroom and when he returned, Piedra was trying to pocket some of the goods, the chief said.
When confronted, Piedra pulled a knife and stabbed Lopez in the head and chest. Other vendors, including Cockfield and his wife, spotted the stabbing and came to Lopez's aid.
As the brawl intensified, a vendor came up behind Piedra and broke a lamp over his head before running off.
Cockfield picked up the remnants of the lamp and started to swing at Piedra, screaming, “You stabbed my friend! You stabbed my friend!” according to Kenny.
Jennifer Cockfield then got involved, throwing both punches and her shoes at Piedra.
The fight died down and Piedra walked away before allegedly coming back a short time later with a knife in hand.
Piedra, who's due back in court tomorrow, was reportedly charged in 2018 with assaulting two women with umbrellas. The case was sent to mental health court, which Piedra completed in 2021, per the News.
Meanwhile, residents have noted that this block has been cleaner this week than it has been in several years. These photos are from yesterday morning.
City Councilmember Keith Powers, whose district starts across 14th Street at Stuy Town, sent an email to his constituents noting. Multiple EVG readers shared the email, which included:
Thank you for writing to me about 14th Street and the awful attacks that took place on Sunday. I have attached a copy of my statement from Sunday evening, which once again calls for immediate intervention from the NYPD and other agencies on 14th Street. We have been working on this since Sunday, so I wanted to give you an update.
One of the challenges in dealing with the situation on 14th Street has been that despite our efforts to make progress, all it takes are a few bad actors to return to the location to undo that progress. That is why I am again calling for consistent and sustained resources on the ground until the conditions on 14th Street are back to normal.
I wanted to share a few updates on the situation since Sunday:
● Earlier this week, the NYPD announced that they are stationing a foot patrol on the block to address the issues. As you will see in my statement, this was my top request. As I have stated repeatedly, the need for more resources here is apparent for any of us living in the neighborhood.
● I am making an updated request of the Archdiocese and Immaculate Church to end the flea market. Myself and other elected officials have made this request in the past but they have not been responsive or cooperative. While I support the church, it’s indisputable that the flea market has created huge problems in the neighborhood.
● On Monday, I personally walked the block with small business owners on 14th Street to provide them with my personal information to allow them to contact us on any issue from cleanliness to illicit behavior.
● The Sanitation Department confirmed to me directly today that they will begin new joint operations with the NYPD and the Department of Homeless Services. My office will stay in close contact to ensure that the efforts here are maintained and properly targeted.
● I am also coordinating with my colleagues in the city and state who represent this area to set up a walkthrough of the site with all relevant agencies.
We hope this will help demonstrate and reinforce the need for immediate and sustained action here.
On the larger scale, there are a number of proposals in the City Council that would exacerbate the situation on 14th Street by restricting the ability of city agencies to conduct enforcement against illegal vendors. I am not supportive of these measures and I have discussed the way that they would negatively impact our neighborhood with my colleagues.
As the City Council finalizes this year's budget, I am advocating for more resources for the 13th Precinct — which covers the Stuyvesant Town portion of the block (the area of 14th Street that’s in my district). I have always been proud of my good working relationship with the 13th Precinct and hope to continue coordinating with them to make our neighborhood safer.
Art and plaque theft season continues in the East Village. (See here and here.)
In recent weeks, two men have been removing Invader's mosaic tile art from around walls in NYC.
The French street artist addressed it in an Instagram post on Monday:
For the past few weeks, some guys in New York have been destroying my work by trying to rip it off the walls, probably to resell it. Shame on them! Street art belongs to the street, and in my case, once ripped from the walls, it is nothing more than broken, unsigned tiles that you could find in any tile store. They will never be authenticated.
Buyers should think twice of what they buy, not only are they being duped but they are also depriving other people of enjoying free art on the street.
He followed up yesterday with a photo of a theft someone took, showing two men removing a classic invader above the signage at Ralph's Famous Italian Ices on the NW corner of Avenue A and Ninth Street...
We asked the folks at Ralph's about it. Unfortunately, they didn't see it happening, as the theft occurred after store hours.
As Invader noted, the mosaics likely have little resale value. Plus, when he installed these, he reportedly used larger, thinner tiles that would chip apart upon contact with a tool.
