Nine-State, $2.2M Home Depot Theft Ring Ends In 13 Plea Deals — Including Hicksville Woman, DA
A Long Island woman and a Hudson Valley man were among 13 people who admitted to a $2.2 million theft scheme that ripped off Home Depots across New York and eight other states, authorities said.
Joana Carolina Fermin, 39, of Hicksville, and Jonathan Tascon Suarez, 32, of Orange County, were both sentenced to prison time for their roles in the sprawling operation that racked up 319 documented thefts, the Queens District Attorney’s office said Monday, Oct. 5.
Suarez was the first person to plead guilty in the case, copping to third-degree grand larceny back on Feb. 18, according to prosecutor…
Two Nurses Attacked By Patient At North Shore Hospital: Police
A New York City man being treated at a Long Island hospital punched two nurses who were caring for him Monday, Oct. 5, police said.
Oshane Bernard, 36, of Queens, was arrested at the scene at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Cops responded to an assault report inside the hospital around 3:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said. Inside, they learned Bernard became agitated and struck two nurses with a closed fist, according to police.
The two injured nurses, both 29-year-old women, were evaluated by hospital staff at the scene, cops said. Ber…
Father Of Four Stabbed To Death On NYC Subway, ‘Heartbroken’ Children Launch Fundraiser
After a father of four was stabbed to death in a random attack on the New York City subway, his children have launched a fundraiser to honor his life.
Mesias Lojano, 59, of Jamaica, Queens, was killed while riding the J train near Woodhaven Boulevard on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
“He was a devoted father to four children, a cherished member of our family, and a friend to so many,” the Lojano children wrote in a GoFundMe. “We are his children, William, Laura, Darwin, and Edwin, and we are heartbroken.”
Jyrell Thomas, 25, of the Bronx, was arrested and charged with murder in Lojano’s death, WABC r…
Burglar Attacks 2 Women Inside Elmont Home, Police Say
A Queens man is accused of breaking into a Long Island home, attacking two women with a knife, and demanding money.
The incident happened just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at an Elmont residence on Waldorf Avenue, according to Nassau County Police.
Two women, ages 29 and 70, discovered an unknown man inside their home after he entered through a window. The suspect allegedly demanded money and then attacked both women with a knife.
During the struggle, both victims sustained lacerations before a 29-year-old male resident intervened and managed to disarm the intruder, police said.
The…
Double Murder: Elderly Couple Burned, Stabbed After Letting Stranger Into NYC Home, Cops Say
A manhunt is underway for a parolee with a violent criminal history wanted in the deaths of a couple in their Queens, NY home, authorities said.
Jamel McGriff, 42, is wanted in the killings of Frank Olton, 76, and Maureen Olton, 77, which happened Monday, Sept. 8, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
Tisch said McGriff went to the Oltons’ home that morning, claiming his cell phone battery was dead and he needed to charge it. Video shows McGriff speaking with Frank Olton before being allowed into the couple’s backyard, Tisch said. The two then walked inside through the back door of the…
NJ Couple’s US Open Love Story Comes Full Circle With Viral Jumbotron Proposal
Two years after their first kiss lit up the Jumbotron at the US Open, and four years after their first date at the Grand Slam event, a New Jersey couple returned to the same seats.
And this time, the guy had a ring.
Brett Kraft, 39, who grew up in New Providence, proposed to his fiancée Sophia Fredriksson, 27, a native of Sweden, during the Friday, Aug. 29 match between Aryna Sabalenka and Leylah Fernandez at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.
Kraft, who lives in Madison with Fredriksson, had been quietly planning the proposal for months.
He p…
Snapchat Meetup At Brentwood Public Library Ends With Rape Behind Fire Department: Indictment
A man lured a 16-year-old girl from a public library by Snapchat before allegedly raping her behind a Long Island fire department, prosecutors announced on Wednesday, Aug. 27.
Delon Hughes, 34, of Brooklyn, met the teen at the Brentwood Public Library on June 11, 2025, after using the handle “Josephpatri9300” on Snapchat to connect with her, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said. The two then walked to the Brentwood Fire Department, where Hughes sexually abused her among parked cars, according to investigators.
Hughes was arrested in Queens on Aug. 7. A search of his cell…
‘Government Agents’ Were Actually Rutherford Brothers In $400K Senior Scam, Prosecutors Say
Two New Jersey brothers are accused of running a scam that stole nearly $400,000 from elderly victims in New York and Connecticut, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Monday, Aug. 25.
Abhishek Barvalia, 31, and Tushar Barvalia, 32, of Rutherfo, were indicted on charges of second-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud, and fourth-degree conspiracy, Gonzalez said. They were released without bail after being arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court and are due back Oct. 22.
Prosecutors say the scam ran from June 2023 to January 2024, targeting women ages 76, 78, 83, and 90 i…
Back-To-Back Subway Slashings: Rider’s Face Cut In Queens, Neck Slashed In Bronx
Police released photos of a man wanted for slashing a 29-year-old straphanger in the face aboard a Queens F train, authorities announced.
The suspect attacked the victim while riding a southbound F train at the Jamaica–179th Street station around 4 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, police said.
According to a police source, the attacker approached the victim and asked, “What are you looking at?” The 29-year-old replied, “I don’t want any problems,” but was then slashed across the face with an unidentified sharp object.
The men were strangers, authorities said. After the random attack, the suspect …
'She Loved Her Customers': Wading River Pizzeria Owner Mourned Following Death At Age 64
The Wading River community is mourning the loss of Maria Tranchina, the beloved owner of Pazzo Ristorante and Wood Fired Pizzeria, who died Monday, Aug. 11, at the age of 64.
For nearly a decade, Tranchina poured her heart into Pazzo Ristorante, turning the eatery into more than just a place for great pizza. To her, it was a dream come true — a hub for friendship, community, and the joy of sharing food.
Pazzo announced her passing in a Facebook post, describing Tranchina as someone who “put her heart into everything she did” and “loved her customers like they were family.”
"Pazzo was more…
