LES Jewels died 2 years ago today

And someone placed memorial flyers with a rose at the entrances to Tompkins Square Park…





On Sept. 14, 2013, Joel Pakela, aka neighborhood fixture LES Jewels, was found unconscious on Avenue A at East Ninth Street. He died a short time later at Beth Israel. He was 43.

The Medical Examiner's office told The Villager that the cause of death was "blunt injuries of head," though "the manner of death is undetermined."

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP LES Jewels (80 comments)

Memorials for LES Jewels in the East Village

Remembering LES Jewels on the anniversary of his death

[Photo via EVG reader Lilly]

LES Jewels died one year ago today.

And there are at least two makeshift memorials dedicated to him — one at the entrance to Tompkins Square Park on East Seventh Street and Avenue A … and one in front of the former 7-Eleven on St. Mark's Place…





On the morning of Sept. 14, 2013, Jewels was found unconscious on Avenue A at East Ninth Street. He reportedly died a short time later at Beth Israel.

The medical examiner's office said his cause of death was "blunt injuries of head" … however, "the manner of death is undetermined."

Jewels, aka Joel Pakela, was 43.

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP LES Jewels (84 comments)

Memorials for LES Jewels in the East Village

Report: LES Jewels died from 'blunt injuries of head'

[Photo from 2007 by Bob Arihood]

On Sept. 14, Joel Pakela, aka neighborhood fixture LES Jewels, was found unconscious on Avenue A at East Ninth Street. He died a short time later at Beth Israel. Rumors quickly circulated that he died from a drug overdose. Later, though, there were claims that he had been kicked in the head during an assault.

Today, The Villager reports on the official cause of death, according to the medical examiner's office:

According to Julie Bolcer, an M.E. spokesperson, the finding of the autopsy and toxicology investigation was that Pakela’s cause of death was “blunt injuries of head.” However, she said, “The manner of death is undetermined.”

Asked for more details — such as how many and what kind of head injuries Pakela had, and whether he got them from being assaulted or, say, falling down on the sidewalk — Bolcer said she would check. However, she subsequently called back to say she had no further information. Asked if alcohol or drugs contributed in any way to his death, Bolcer simply repeated the M.E.’s conclusion, that the cause of death was “blunt injuries of head.”

Jewels was 43.

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP LES Jewels (80 comments)

Memorials for LES Jewels in the East Village

Memorial tonight for LES Jewels in Tompkins Square Park

[December 2011, by Walter Wlodarczyk Photography]

We don't have a lot of specific information... other than it is happening in the Park tonight at 8 ... and if the Facebook invite is any indication, then a good number of people are going.

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP LES Jewels (74 comments)

There is a now a mural of LES Jewels in Venice Beach, Calif.

Jules Muck, a longtime friend of the late LES Jewels, created this mural on Main Street in Venice Beach, Calif., this week.

"I could tell stories bout him for days," she said via Facebook.

Nearly 10 years earlier, she did this mural on St. Mark's Place in his honor ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP LES Jewels (74 comments)

Photos via Facebook courtesy of Jules Muck.

[Updated] Park officials request removal of the LES Jewels memorial on Avenue A

[This morning]

Well, we were wondering how long the memorial for LES Jewels would stay up on Avenue A and East Ninth Street... His friends began to erect it on Saturday night... and it continued to grow the last few days.

In any event, EVG reader C. Ryan passes along this photo... noting that workers from the Parks Department asked Jewels' friends to dismantle the memorial... which they apparently did...





Updated 6 p.m.

In the comments, Chris Flash reports that the memorial has been moved to in front of MoRUS at 155 Avenue C between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street...

Looking for information about LES Jewels

[Avenue A and East 9th Street this morning]

From the EVG inbox...

Amy is requesting that anyone who may have seen Jewels between the evening of Friday, September 13 after 9 pm and the early morning hours of Saturday, September 13 contact her to tell her: when and where they saw him, what they observed, and what, if anything transpired between them and Jewels.

Amy, Jewels' former wife, would also like to know of any witnesses to beatings Jewels experienced in the week and in the days prior to his death. She is asking that anyone with any information or details (nothing is too insignificant) contact her via email.

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP LES Jewels (72 comments)

[Updated] Memorials for LES Jewels in the East Village

There are at least four memorials now in the neighborhood for Joel Pakela, aka LES Jewels, who died this morning from what some people have said was a drug overdose. (No official word just yet.) There is a memorial now on Avenue A at East Ninth Street...









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St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue...





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... and outside the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) on Avenue C...





There are also several candles lit in his honor outside Ray's on Avenue A.

Thanks to our dear friends at MoRUS for the above photos.

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Updated 9-15

Steven Hirsch shared these photos from last night on Avenue A and East Ninth Street...











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This morning around 7:30 ...


[EVG]

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP LES Jewels (35 comments)

RIP LES Jewels

[Photo from 2011 by Bob Arihood]

Word is circulating in Tompkins Square Park today that LES Jewels, a familiar figure in the neighborhood, has died. Park regulars said that Jewels, aka Joel Pakela, died as a result of a drug overdose. [Update 9-16: A cause of death has not been confirmed. There are other theories, as you can see in the comments.] Friends said that he was 43.

According to sources, Jewels was found unconscious this morning at 7:44 on Avenue A at East Ninth Street. An EMS crew tried unsuccessfully to revive him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His drug- and alcohol-fueled rampages along Avenue A and in Tompkins Square Park were well-documented by Bob Arihood at Neither More Nor Less.

One longtime resident recently introduced himself to Jewels ... and wasn't sure what to expect.

"He couldn't have been nicer."

Here's the last photo that we've seen of Jewels, taken Sept. 8 at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) on Avenue C...


[Photo via MoRUS]

At Gem Spa this morning

At 8:30 or so this morning... LES Jewels is passed out in front of Gem Spa.

A man walks up, looks at Jewels and says "It's Harry. Harry Hippie."

He leans down. "Harry. Harry! HARRY! HARRY HIPPIE."

Jewels doesn't move.

"Harry Hippie."

The man moves on, and explains to the hat crew outside Gem Spa that the person on the sidewalk is Harry Hippie. Harry, he says, has been working a lot lately and is tired.

The man, who is wearing headphones and listening to loud music, keeps walking west on St. Mark's.

"Harry Hippie" he says one last time, shaking his head.

He then stops a group of tourists who look to be in their 60s and tells them that he is from Ireland and Scotland. The group looks confused and continues walking.

123 days (and nights)

Shawn Chittle spoke with LES Jewels on Avenue A last night. Jewels reports that he has been sober for 123 days, and is getting some support from local officials in getting a room at the Lee, the low-income housing development and training center on East Houston and Pitt Street.

Also, he says, he misses Bob.

'Good morning sunshine'

Those were the words of a chipper EMT upon coming across an unresponsive L.E.S. Jewels on the corner of Avenue A and East Fourth Street. As multiple readers noted, Engine Company 28 and two ambulances arrived on the scene around 11 a.m.

The EMTs told onlookers that LES Jewels was fine. "He's OK, he's OK," one said.

Afterwards, Jewels' corner companion urinated on the sidewalk.

[Updated] LES Jewels has already colonized the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

This morning on Seventh Street... under the shelter of the new awning. Photo by @beatsforlyfe.

Oh no word yet on an opening date... but the (ice cream?) machinery should arrive tomorrow.

Facebook discovers LES Jewels' penis

East Village photographer Steven Hirsch has been adding photos to his Facebook Crustypunks page ... he posted the above shot of LES Jewels (in a more suitable-for-work shot above) doing a pants-down pose on St. Mark's Place at Avenue A ... afterwards, he received a notice from Facebook that they're deleting the page. Then! Facebook deleted Hirsch's personal account and the whole Crustypunks project, which had about 100 photos from the past year.

And here's the email from Facebook...

Hello,

You uploaded a photo that violates our Terms of Use, and this photo has been removed. Facebook does not allow photos that attack an individual or group, or that contain nudity, drug use, violence, or other violations of the Terms of Use. These policies are designed to ensure Facebook remains a safe, secure and trusted environment for all users, including the many children who use the site.

The Facebook Team

Avenue A, 5:29 p.m., Feb. 21

Tonight on East Ninth Street

The FDNY responded to calls tonight at 338 on E. Ninth St. near Avenue A this evening around 7... As a tipster reports, when the FDNY arrived, they found LES Jewels sleeping in the entryway...

...The crew told him to leave and sleep it off in Tompkins Square Park...

EMTs escort LES Jewels from Ray's

The NYPD and FDNY EMTs were called to Ray's where L.E.S. Jewels had collapsed yesterday afternoon around 3, Bob Arihood notes.

Witnesses said that the Ray's counter person had called 911 several times earlier because Jewels had allegedly accosted and threatened a customer inside the store.

As Bob's photo shows, EMTs removed the restrained and unresponsive L.E.S. Jewels from the store and took him to a hospital.

Report: L.E.S. Jewels sentenced to 10 days in jail (Updated: Or not)

Back in April, Bob Arihood reported that Joel Pakela, a.k.a., L.E.S Jewels, had been arrested and charged for assault... and resisting arrest. This week's issue of The Villager reports that Jewels was sentenced to 10 days in jail on June 1.

Update: According to the Department of Correction website, L.E.S. Jewels is scheduled for release on Oct. 20. He is currently in the Eric M. Taylor Center (EMTC) at Rikers.

[Photo via Slum Goddess]

About the "thug" who "seriously injured a man in a Greenwich Village apartment"

Bob Arihood has more information about the following item in the NYPD Daily Blotter from yesterday.... first, here is the item from the Post:

Manhattan

A thug seriously injured a man in a Greenwich Village apartment after they had met at a bar, authorities said yesterday.

After leaving the pub together, Joel Pakela, 40, escorted the victim to the apartment on Mercer Street at 5:20 a.m. last Thursday, cops said.

Inside, Pakela suddenly attacked the man, hitting him repeatedly in the face and breaking his orbital bone, sources said.

Witnesses called 911 and police arrested Pakela after a struggle, authorities said.

He was charged with assault and resisting arrest, said a spokesman for DA Cyrus Vance Jr.

As Bob noted: "It seems that an East Village personality that we all know , the infamous L.E.S Jewels ( a.k.a. Joel Pakela) is going to be doing some time." (Read Bob's full post here.)

[Photo via Slum Goddess]